Thank you for contacting me about Manston and asylum processing centres.
The UK has a statutory obligation to provide asylum claimants who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation and other support to meet their essential living needs whilst their application for asylum is being considered. However, the Government also has a wider duty to the public to ensure that anyone who has entered the UK illegally undergoes security checks and is not, with no fixed abode, immediately free to move around local communities.
Thanks to the hard work and professionalism of Home Office and Border Force staff, military personnel and third-party contractors, good progress has been made at Manston. The number of migrants has fallen substantially, and Ministers are working hard to ensure the site remains at a sustainable operating model going forward.
It is clear we are living through a global migration crisis. The UK has seen an unprecedented number of attempts to illegally cross the Channel in small boats. Indeed, over 40,000 people have crossed the Channel this year alone. Not only is this unnecessary, because many people have come from another safe country, but is it lethally dangerous and lines the pockets of international criminal gangs who are behind this trend.
I am extremely concerned that one-third of all those arriving in small boats this year are from Albania, which totals almost 13,000 individuals. As such, I welcome that the Prime Minister has announced a new agreement with Albania which includes Border Force officers at Tirana airport to prevent people from coming here illegally in the first place. New guidance will also be issued to caseworkers to make it clear that Albania is a safe country, and a new dedicated unit with 400 new specialist staff to expedite cases within weeks.
It is vital that we dismantle the international crime gangs behind this phenomenon. Co-operation with France has stopped over 30,000 illegal crossings since the start of the year and destroyed over 1,000 boats. Moreover, the UK-France joint intelligence cell has dismantled 55 organised crime groups since it was established in 2020.
I am sure you will join me in welcoming the UK's new bilateral partnership with France to tackle illegal migration at the shared border, with a focus on small boat crossings. Under the plan, for the first time, UK officers will join French law enforcement teams as embedded observers, sharing real-time information. The UK has pledged a financial investment of up to €72.2 million (around £62.2 million) in 2022-23 to France to assist in the delivery of the joint plan, which covers investment in drones, night vision equipment and CCTV in French ports to try and prevent crossings. Further, the Government has announced a new, permanent, unified Small Boats Operational Command will be established. It will run by 700 new permanent staff, bringing together military and civilian capabilities, and supported by the National Crime Agency to intercept more boats in the Channel.
The Government has also made clear that it intends to introduce new legislation next year to make it clear that if someone enters the UK illegally, they should not be able to remain, but should be swiftly detained and removed.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.