Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of coach journeys used to transport asylum seekers from UK ports to reception or processing centres were booked (a) less than 24 hours, (b) between 24 and 72 hours, (c) between three and seven days and (d) more than seven days in advance in each year since 2020.

The Home Office has interpreted these questions to apply to the arrangements for bringing migrants from Channel crossings to the Immigration Reception Centre at Manston in particular, rather than detainee escorting more generally.

People being moved from arrival locations to reception areas are escorted by appropriate security personnel on dedicated transportation, and movements are managed in accordance with established operational procedures designed to ensure safety, security and welfare.

The Home Office does not routinely publish detailed information relating to these transportation arrangements to avoid prejudicing security and operational effectiveness. Additionally, the specific information about bookings is not held by the Home Office in a readily retrievable form and therefore could not be provided except at a disproportionate cost.