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HOME AFFAIRS – SMALL BOAT CROSSINGS & GANGS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS - 06 November 2024

HOME AFFAIRS – SMALL BOAT CROSSINGS & GANGS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS - 06 November 2024

Sir Julian Lewis: The Government have a mandate for trying out their approach, and I wish them well. I have always felt that unless the boats are intercepted and turned back near the start of their journey, nothing will deter people from using that method. Will the Minister, whom I respect greatly, explain how it is possible to smash gangs who operate in other jurisdictions once they get to the point where they withdraw their headquarters to countries where there is no possibility of co-operation with the authorities in charge of those states?

[The Minister for Border Security and Asylum (Dame Angela Eagle): Well, getting to that level of withdrawal would be a fantastic development that would put incredible pressure on many of the supply lines currently being used; if we could get to that stage, we would have already made significant progress. The answer to what the right hon. Gentleman is talking about is international co-operation to put the maximum pressure on this terrible international trade in human lives and exploitation. I am glad that he is giving me a little bit of time to prove that we can make a difference.]