Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to reduce factors that encourage migrants to arrive illegally.

The Government is clear that there are no simple “pull factors” driving irregular migration; rather, flows are driven by complex global pressures including conflict, persecution and smuggling networks. Nonetheless, we are acting decisively to reduce incentives to travel illegally, including by accelerating asylum decision-making, ending the use of hotels, strengthening returns, and working with international partners to disrupt criminal gangs.

These measures are underpinned by wider reforms set out in the Government’s Restoring Order and Control programme, which will deliver a firm but fair asylum system, restore control of our borders, and ensure that protection is provided through safe and legal routes rather than dangerous crossings.