UK MP Rupert Lowe says leaked documents confirm that the Home Office misled Parliament about the scale of missing illegal migrants and foreign offenders in the UK. He calls it a “national security emergency,” pointing to data his whistleblower investigation uncovered. The debate in Parliament grew intense as MPs questioned the government’s transparency and the seriousness of the missing individuals. This video covers what happened, what the leaked figures allegedly show, and why the issue has escalated into a major political flashpoint.
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UK politics, UK parliament debate, Rupert Lowe, migrant crisis UK, missing migrants UK, illegal migration UK, Home Office scandal, leaked migrant numbers, national security UK, foreign criminals UK, political whistleblower, parliament news, UK government accountability, immigration policy UK, migrant leak, security emergency UK, political scandal UK, UK border issues, breaking news UK
#UKPolitics #RupertLowe #Migrants #illegalmigration
UK politics, UK parliament debate, Rupert Lowe, migrant crisis UK, missing migrants UK, illegal migration UK, Home Office scandal, leaked migrant numbers, national security UK, foreign criminals UK, political whistleblower, parliament news, UK government accountability, immigration policy UK, migrant leak, security emergency UK, political scandal UK, UK border issues, breaking news UK
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NewsTranscript
00:00The scale of illegal immigration and its impact on our country is simply not understood in this parliament.
00:08Nor do most members even care.
00:10British people are genuinely scared.
00:13Women are frightened to go into their towns alone.
00:16Parents are terrified to let their children walk to school.
00:20It's getting worse and worse and worse.
00:25The British people are not stupid.
00:26They can see their communities radically changing, and they can feel their streets becoming more unfamiliar, more dangerous, more menacing.
00:36All whilst the Home Office deliberately conceals the true extent of the change from our citizens.
00:44I am contacted by dozens and dozens of women who genuinely fear for their lives, and they feel ignored by this place.
00:52Ignored by those who are supposed to represent and protect them.
00:58Ignored and abandoned.
01:01Thrown to the wolves in pursuit of some sick, multicultural experiment that is being forced on our people.
01:08One that has very real-world consequences.
01:12What happened just yesterday?
01:14Two Afghan illegal migrants jailed for raping a schoolgirl.
01:21The footage exists.
01:23She filmed herself during the rape.
01:26Even the men's barrister warned it would lead to disorder if it was released, as it was so horrific.
01:33You're going to rape me, the girl cried, as she was dragged away.
01:37She screamed for help and begged not to be taken.
01:42One of the migrants gagged her with his hand.
01:46The Afghan men forced her to perform sex acts in a secluded area.
01:52She is heard screaming for help.
01:55She calls for her friends.
01:57She wants to go home.
01:59She's pleading for help from passers-by.
02:02None came.
02:03Can you imagine her horror, her fear, her desperation?
02:08Think, if it was your daughter.
02:10How would that make you feel?
02:12Honestly, think about that.
02:14Would the Honourable member give away?
02:16I will give away.
02:17He is making a very powerful introduction to his speech.
02:23He and I share profound concerns regarding the scale of illegal migrants in the UK
02:28and their ability to arrive here and disappear.
02:31The case he speaks of yesterday.
02:34The most disturbing thing for me is that we are being gaslit by the media
02:39because these two Afghani boat arrivals were described as being from Leamington.
02:46They're not from Leamington.
02:48Would you agree with me that women and girls are less safe in this United Kingdom now today
02:55than they were five years ago because of this race?
02:57I thank the Honourable member for her intervention and I completely agree with what you're saying.
03:04The girl was then pushed to her knees before being brutally raped.
03:08Another.
03:10One of too many.
03:12Last year, a 35-year-old Iranian small boat migrant raped a 15-year-old girl in an alleyway.
03:20He was known to police in Germany where he was convicted of assault offences.
03:26He told the girl she could be his sex doll and that he wanted to, and I quote,
03:33fuck her before dragging her down an alleyway, forcing her to her knees outside a secluded doorway,
03:40and then raping her.
03:41The poor girl's anguished mother later asked,
03:46why was he in this country?
03:49A question millions and millions of British people are asking.
03:53Why are they here?
03:55These are unimaginable horrors that they are happening right across our country every day,
04:01brutally and relentlessly.
04:04This House may not like to hear this, but it must listen.
04:07It must understand.
04:08It must digest.
04:10This is a political choice, and it's one that this Parliament has made.
04:16These are men who should never have been in our country to begin with.
04:19They should have been detained, and they should have been deported,
04:23indiscriminately and without question.
04:26They weren't, they were housed, fed and cared for at taxpayer expense,
04:32released onto our streets, allowed to roam freely.
04:37Thousands and thousands of them, unvetted foreign men from barbaric cultures that have no place in our communities.
04:45Words cannot adequately describe my disgust for what has been forced onto the British people.
04:51Since being elected, I have used what little influence I hold to try and uncover the impact of these migrants
04:59and just how severely the British people are suffering because of it.
05:03I've asked over 600 questions of the Home Office.
05:08I receive very few answers, particularly when the question is regarding illegal migrants.
05:13No data, not centrally collected, and disproportionate costs are often cited.
05:22I thought perhaps incompetence, but evidence has come to my attention
05:26that proves that the Home Office has been misleading MPs.
05:32On January 20th, I asked the Home Office this question.
05:35What information the Department holds on the number of irregular migrants defined as absconders?
05:44I will give way.
05:47I'm extremely grateful to the Honourable Gentleman
05:49that I did give notice that I was going to intervene on him.
05:52It is inconceivable, isn't it, that Home Office Ministers wouldn't know that,
05:57for when I was the Home Office Minister,
05:59I would have been asking my officials for exactly that kind of information.
06:02So it's not just that the Honourable Gentleman didn't know it.
06:07It seems the Ministers didn't either.
06:08I can't believe that, Madam Deputy Speaker.
06:10It's inconceivable.
06:12I thank the Right Honourable Gentleman for his intervention, and very helpful.
06:17On that point?
06:19Can I commend the Honourable Gentleman for Great Yarmouth for bringing this debate,
06:23and he has illustrated by the story that he has conferred
06:27and by the evidential base how bad things are.
06:30However, I did a check beforehand.
06:34Data set from the Home Office shows that as of October 2025,
06:39there were 53,298 migrants who breached their immigration bail
06:44or absconded from detention, meaning their whereabouts are unknown.
06:49So does the Honourable Member agree that this only adds to the stress of our community,
06:54the health and housing systems,
06:55and that more must be done to find those who have illegally breached immigration bail
07:00and deport them back to their country of origin?
07:03I thank the Honourable Member for his intervention,
07:07and I will come on to that point in a minute, but I completely concur.
07:12So I will recap the question.
07:14What information the Department holds on the number of irregular migrants defined as absconders?
07:20A minister replied,
07:22The requested data is not readily accessible from published statistics
07:27and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at a disproportionate cost.
07:36That was not true.
07:37On the 3rd of September, I asked the Home Secretary the following question.
07:43What estimate has been made of the number of foreign nationals
07:46who have absconded after being served with a deportation officer?
07:52The answer from a different minister,
07:54The Home Office does not hold any central record of the requested information.
08:00That was not true.
08:02On the 24th of November, I questioned the Home Office Permanent Secretary
08:08and the Public Accounts Committee
08:10on the number of illegal migrants who have absconded from Home Office accommodation
08:14in the past five years.
08:18No concise answer.
08:21During all of this, a Home Office whistleblower presented themselves with these figures,
08:26in black and white,
08:27regularly disseminated within the Home Office.
08:30The actual data is as follows.
08:35There are 736 foreign criminals
08:38in the total absconder pool
08:40for foreign national offenders.
08:45736 foreign criminals
08:47who have been released from prison
08:49and then absconded before deportation.
08:53Please think about that.
08:56736 criminals.
08:58Rapists, murderers, paedophiles.
09:03They were meant for deportation
09:04but have escaped into the community.
09:07736 of them.
09:09It is a terrifying thought.
09:12Overall, the total absconder pool
09:13stands at 53,298,
09:18largely referring to the number of illegal migrants
09:21once in the system
09:23whose current whereabouts is unknown.
09:26Would the Honourable Member give away?
09:28I will give away.
09:30Thank you, Madam Deputy Chair.
09:32Thank the Honourable Member for giving away.
09:35With 53,000
09:37illegal immigrants
09:39who have absconded
09:40with no address
09:41and 736
09:42ones that have committed crimes
09:45and have absconded,
09:47would the Member agree with me
09:48that this Government
09:49has lost control
09:50of its borders,
09:52it has lost control
09:53of its immigration policies
09:55and it has lost all credibility
09:56when it comes to immigration issues.
10:00I thank the Honourable Member
10:02for his very helpful invention
10:03and I do agree.
10:06Unvetted and unknown men,
10:09sex pests,
10:10misogynists,
10:11even far worse,
10:12in our communities,
10:14on our streets,
10:16near our schools,
10:17in the thousands and thousands,
10:20this is a national security emergency
10:23and must be treated as such.
10:26The evidence is undeniable.
10:28I have seen it.
10:29The Home Office documents,
10:31in Home Office documents.
10:32It exists.
10:33It is real.
10:35The figures were not even disputed
10:36by the Home Office.
10:38They simply told the Telegraph
10:39the following.
10:41The Home Office
10:42has refused to confirm
10:43whether the figures are accurate,
10:46saying it does not comment
10:47on speculation.
10:49This is not speculation.
10:52This is cold, hard data.
10:56The numbers,
10:57which demonstrate quite spectacularly
10:59how the Home Office
11:00has failed to keep
11:02the British people safe.
11:04It is an outrageous scandal
11:06that this information
11:07has been deliberately hidden
11:09from the British people.
11:10We deserve to know the facts.
11:15We deserve to know
11:16what is being forced
11:17onto our communities.
11:19The answer is staggering.
11:22736 foreign criminals.
11:26Gone.
11:27Disappeared.
11:2953,298 illegal migrants.
11:34Gone.
11:36Disappeared.
11:36My questions.
11:40Where are they now?
11:44What is the Minister doing
11:45to detain them?
11:48Where did they come from?
11:49What are their convictions?
11:54How has this been allowed
11:56to happen?
11:57I can count.
12:00Why did the Minister
12:01mislead the British people?
12:02Who is being sacked?
12:07Will the Minister...
12:08Order.
12:11We don't need commentary
12:12from a sedentary position.
12:14And to remind Mr Lowe,
12:15we do not accuse
12:16other members
12:17of misleading
12:18the House.
12:20So please refrain
12:21from using such terms
12:23and please check your language.
12:25Mr Rupert Lowe.
12:25Will the Minister
12:28now commit
12:29to publishing
12:29these figures
12:30on a regular
12:31and transparent basis?
12:33Or will I have
12:34to continue exposing it?
12:37Further whistleblowers
12:38have already come forward
12:39with additional information
12:41and I thank them for that.
12:43My warning to the Home Office
12:45and other departments
12:46is this.
12:47Be very careful
12:48about any further
12:49misleading statements.
12:52There are many
12:52decent people
12:53in the civil service
12:54who will not tolerate it
12:56and I want them
12:57all to know
12:58that they have a safe
12:59and secure channel
13:00to release this information
13:02publicly through me.
13:05Sunlight
13:05is the best
13:06disinfectant
13:07and this festering
13:09rotting mess
13:10desperately needs
13:11to be disinfected.
13:12Well, my honourable friend,
13:13give way.
13:13I will give way.
13:15I'm grateful
13:16to my honourable friend
13:17for giving way.
13:18Will he
13:18write to the
13:20Procedure Committee
13:21with his file
13:23on this case
13:24because the Procedure Committee
13:25is at the moment
13:26inquiring into the
13:27quality
13:28of written answers
13:30to questions
13:31and he's very concerned
13:32about the lack
13:33of quality
13:34as I am indeed
13:35also concerned
13:36about
13:37receiving answers
13:38in my case
13:39from the Treasury
13:40recently
13:41which suggests
13:42that there was
13:43an attempt
13:43to deliberately
13:44mislead
13:45which has only
13:46been exposed
13:46as a result
13:47of supplementary answers.
13:49I thank the
13:51honourable gentleman
13:52for his intervention
13:53and I will indeed
13:54write.
13:56So I have just
13:57one final question
13:58for the Minister.
14:00What else
14:01is the Home Office
14:02lying about?
14:03Mr
14:09have you
14:09finished your
14:10we spoke
14:13about this
14:14earlier on
14:14we do not
14:15accuse each other
14:16of misleading
14:16we do not
14:17accuse each other
14:18of lying
14:18there are very
14:19different ways
14:20of framing
14:20those questions
14:21and that
14:22order
14:24if I needed
14:25your help
14:25I would have
14:25asked for it.
14:27So Mr
14:28Rupert-Low
14:28this is a very
14:29serious subject
14:29so we have to
14:30make sure
14:30that our language
14:31is appropriate
14:31and serious too
14:32I will now
14:33give the time
14:34to the Minister
14:34note out
14:34you'll want
14:35to intervene
14:35on the Minister
14:36please keep
14:37your language
14:37in check
14:38Minister
14:38Mike
14:39Thank you
14:42Madam Deputy
14:43Speaker
14:43I begin by
14:44thanking the
14:44honourable member
14:45for securing
14:46this debate
14:47and I'm grateful
14:48to him
14:48and all other
14:49honourable members
14:50who have
14:51participated
14:52this evening
14:54this is
14:55as we have
14:56heard
14:56an important
14:57issue
14:58Madam Deputy
14:58Speaker
14:59for the
14:59government
15:00for the
15:01public
15:01for the
15:02Home Office
15:03which does
15:04not lie
15:05A lot of
15:07ground has
15:08been covered
15:09this evening
15:09Madam Deputy
15:10Speaker
15:11several claims
15:12and criticisms
15:13have been
15:14aired in
15:14respect of
15:16how this
15:16government
15:16is tackling
15:17illegal migration
15:18many of
15:19which I
15:20would contest
15:21or flatly
15:22reject
15:23for example
15:24the
15:24apocalyptic
15:26picture
15:27that the
15:28honourable
15:28gentleman
15:28paints
15:29of our
15:30great
15:30country
15:31and he
15:31can
15:31continue
15:32to
15:32talk
15:33it
15:33down
15:33but it
15:34won't
15:34gain him
15:34any more
15:35votes
15:36I will
15:36come to
15:37respond to
15:37this issue
15:38in more
15:38detail
15:39shortly
15:39but before
15:40that
15:41I must
15:41do two
15:42things
15:42Madam Deputy
15:43Speaker
15:44the first
15:45is to
15:45state
15:46without
15:46hesitation
15:47or
15:48equivocation
15:49that this
15:50government
15:50is utterly
15:51determined
15:52to tackle
15:53the scourge
15:54of illegal
15:55migration
15:56anyone who
15:57comes to
15:58this country
15:58illegally
15:59or remains
16:00here illegally
16:01should not
16:02expect
16:03to stay
16:04and in
16:05cases where
16:06an individual
16:06with no
16:07right to be
16:08in the UK
16:08absconds
16:10or disappears
16:11efforts are
16:12made to
16:12trace them
16:13and bring
16:14them back
16:14into contact
16:15with the
16:16department
16:16as the
16:18Home Secretary
16:18has repeatedly
16:20made clear
16:21the ability
16:22of the state
16:23to determine
16:23who can come
16:24to this country
16:25and who
16:25must leave
16:26is an
16:27essential part
16:28of any
16:29functioning
16:30immigration
16:31system
16:31public safety
16:33is paramount
16:35and the
16:35honourable
16:36member
16:37raises
16:37some
16:38disturbing
16:39recent
16:40events
16:41and we
16:42will do
16:42everything
16:43in our
16:43power
16:44to protect
16:44our citizens
16:45our communities
16:46and our
16:47country
16:47it's been a
16:49top priority
16:49to fix
16:50the mess
16:51we inherited
16:52and our efforts
16:54are having
16:55an impact
16:56removals
16:57removals
16:57of those
16:58with no
16:58right to be
16:59here
16:59have increased
17:00dramatically
17:01almost 50,000
17:03people have
17:04been returned
17:05since July
17:062024
17:07that's up
17:0823%
17:10a record
17:11increase
17:12Madam Deputy
17:12Speaker
17:13deportations
17:14of foreign
17:15criminals
17:16have also
17:17increased
17:17significantly
17:18in the last
17:19year
17:19with over
17:205,430
17:22foreign
17:23national
17:23offenders
17:24returned
17:25as of
17:25the end
17:26of
17:26October
17:272025
17:28this is
17:30an increase
17:30of 12%
17:31compared to
17:32the previous
17:33year
17:34and I must
17:35stress
17:36the mess
17:37we inherited
17:38Madam Deputy
17:39Speaker
17:40isn't fixed
17:41in a week
17:42a month
17:43or a year
17:44we inherited
17:45open borders
17:46we inherited
17:47hotels full
17:49costing taxpayers
17:50£9 million
17:51per day
17:52and we inherited
17:53a system
17:53that are ground
17:54to a halt
17:55in the Home Office
17:56and that
17:57processing
17:57has now
17:58increased
17:59by 50%
18:00this demonstrates
18:02very clearly
18:03that we are
18:04making progress
18:05and that Britain
18:06will not be
18:07a soft touch
18:09for illegal
18:10migration
18:10we've ramped up
18:12enforcement activity
18:13whether against
18:14the criminal gangs
18:15against illegal
18:16journeys
18:17or against
18:18illegal
18:18working here
18:19at home
18:20in the last year
18:21enforcement action
18:22to disrupt
18:23illegal working
18:23across all sectors
18:24has reached
18:26record-breaking levels
18:27with over
18:2711,000 visits
18:29and 8,000 arrests
18:31that's up
18:3251%
18:33and 63%
18:34respectively
18:35the highest
18:35this country
18:36has ever seen
18:38on top of this
18:39people smuggling
18:40arrests
18:41convictions
18:42and seizures
18:42have increased
18:44by 33%
18:45in the past
18:4612 months
18:47this all
18:49contributes
18:50to the government's
18:51comprehensive
18:52and systematic
18:53work to reduce
18:54the incentives
18:54that draw people
18:55here illegally
18:57and to scale
18:58up removals
18:59I give away
19:00my experience
19:03in this house
19:03over almost
19:0430 years
19:05is that
19:05most people
19:06here
19:06indeed the
19:07overworld majority
19:07of people
19:08here want to
19:08do the right
19:09thing
19:09and that's
19:10irrespective of
19:11passing
19:12and I make
19:13that perfectly
19:14clear through
19:14you
19:15Madam Deputy
19:15Speaker
19:15but I know
19:16you will
19:17take the view
19:18that it's
19:18critically important
19:20in that spirit
19:21that parliamentary
19:22answers are
19:23full
19:23and accurate
19:25and this is
19:26something I
19:26conjured with
19:27as a minister
19:28answering many
19:29many written
19:30questions over
19:31the variety
19:31of government
19:31departments
19:32will the minister
19:33address the
19:33specific issue
19:34that's been
19:35raised about
19:36the accuracy
19:36and completeness
19:37of answers
19:38to questions
19:39thank you
19:41Madam Deputy
19:41speaking
19:42I thank the
19:42right honourable
19:43member for
19:43his two
19:44questions there
19:45the first
19:47I completely
19:48agree that
19:49the vast
19:50majority of
19:51those who
19:51come to this
19:52country are
19:53decent people
19:54and the
19:56sweeping changes
19:56we've seen to
19:57the asylum
19:58system over the
19:59last few weeks
20:00encourages that
20:01further to
20:02ensure that
20:02people are
20:02integrating and
20:04contributing
20:04and that there
20:05isn't that
20:06asylum shopping
20:07that we're
20:07currently seeing
20:08across Europe
20:10but there are
20:11bad eggs
20:12and when we
20:13get those bad
20:14eggs we will
20:15do what we can
20:16to deport them
20:17and that's why
20:18we've also seen
20:19us the changes
20:20in the last few
20:21weeks to make it
20:22easier to remove
20:23and deport people
20:24and on written
20:24questions I will
20:26come to that
20:27shortly in my
20:29statement Madam
20:30Deputy Speaker
20:31more broadly
20:32we must never
20:33forget that the
20:34chronic problems
20:35we face
20:35long predate
20:38this government's
20:39time in office
20:39when we took
20:41office we
20:42inherited an
20:42asylum sister
20:43overwhelmed by
20:44escalating costs
20:45record hotel
20:46use and a
20:47backlog that
20:48undermined public
20:49confidence
20:49we recognise that
20:51the current
20:51arrangements to
20:52accommodate
20:53asylum seekers
20:54are not
20:55suitable
20:55this government
20:56will close
20:57every asylum
20:59hotel and we
21:00are on track
21:01to do this
21:01by the end
21:02of parliament
21:03Madam Deputy
21:04Speaker
21:04we are working
21:06to move
21:06asylum seekers
21:07into more
21:07suitable
21:08accommodations
21:09such as
21:09military bases
21:10to ease
21:11pressure on
21:12communities
21:12across the
21:13country
21:14at this time
21:15it does remain
21:17necessary to use
21:18hotels in the
21:18short to medium
21:19term to deliver
21:20our statutory
21:21responsibility to
21:23ensure individuals
21:24are not left
21:25destitute
21:26but from over
21:28400 asylum
21:29hotels open in
21:30summer 2023
21:31costing almost
21:33£9 million
21:33a day
21:34fewer than
21:35200 hotels
21:36remain in use
21:37now
21:38this is not
21:39just about
21:40cost
21:40but about
21:41restoring
21:41control to
21:42our
21:42asylum
21:43system
21:43international
21:44cooperation
21:45is key to
21:46improving
21:46returns
21:47and through
21:48our landmark
21:48UK France
21:49agreement
21:50we have
21:50strengthened
21:50our ability
21:51to return
21:52individuals to
21:53France
21:53and our
21:54efforts are
21:55having an
21:56impact
21:56Madam Deputy
21:57Speaker
21:58and we will
21:58see that
21:59go further
22:00turning now
22:01to the
22:01specific focus
22:02of this
22:03debate
22:04I am aware
22:05of the
22:06interest
22:07in these
22:07issues
22:08specifically
22:09around
22:10absconders
22:11while I
22:12will not
22:12comment
22:13on leaked
22:14data
22:15I can set
22:16out to the
22:17house
22:17the steps
22:18that are
22:18taken to
22:19ensure
22:19that an
22:19individual
22:20remains in
22:21contact with
22:22the Home
22:22Office
22:22and the
22:23consequences
22:24should they
22:25abscond
22:25an individual
22:27granted
22:27immigration
22:28bail
22:28may be
22:29required
22:29to reside
22:30at a
22:31specified
22:32address
22:33and report
22:34at regular
22:34intervals
22:35in person
22:36to either
22:36a reporting
22:37officer
22:37or a police
22:38station
22:39or by
22:39telephone
22:40or digital
22:40messaging
22:41in some
22:41cases
22:42a person
22:43may also
22:43be required
22:44to wear
22:44electronic
22:45fitted
22:45device
22:46where
22:47someone
22:47fails
22:48to comply
22:48with this
22:49efforts
22:49will be
22:50made
22:50to re-establish
22:51contact
22:51through the
22:52most appropriate
22:52method
22:53including a
22:54visit from
22:55an enforcement
22:55team
22:56where that
22:56is considered
22:57appropriate
22:58individuals
23:00can come
23:00into contact
23:01with the
23:01department
23:02for a variety
23:03of reasons
23:04but where
23:04they are
23:05considered
23:05to be an
23:06absconder
23:06their details
23:10will be
23:10circulated
23:11on the
23:11police
23:12national
23:13computer
23:13the Home
23:14Office
23:14has a
23:15range of
23:15tools
23:16available
23:16to locate
23:17those
23:17who do
23:17abscond
23:18with a
23:18dedicated
23:19tracing
23:19capability
23:20that works
23:21in partnership
23:22with the
23:22police
23:23other
23:23government
23:24agencies
23:25and
23:25commercial
23:26companies
23:26tracing
23:27foreign
23:28national
23:29offenders
23:29will
23:30always
23:31be a
23:31priority
23:32Madam
23:33Deputy
23:33Speaker
23:33and
23:35tracing
23:35is just
23:35one of
23:36the ways
23:36in which
23:36contact
23:37with an
23:37individual
23:38can be
23:38re-established
23:39many
23:40individuals
23:41who are
23:41out of
23:41contact
23:42may also
23:42re-engage
23:43with the
23:43department
23:44voluntarily
23:44or decide
23:45to leave
23:46the UK
23:46individuals
23:48are also
23:48encountered
23:49through
23:49routine
23:50immigration
23:50enforcement
23:51and police
23:52activity
23:53in all
23:54cases
23:54the Home
23:55Office
23:55will consider
23:56the most
23:56appropriate
23:57action
23:57including
23:58arrest
23:59and
23:59detention
24:00I will
24:02give up
24:02listening with
24:04interest to the
24:04Minister but
24:05as a member of
24:06this House
24:06I would like to
24:08know
24:08are the
24:10specific figures
24:11quoted by the
24:12Honourable
24:12Member
24:13Great Yarmouth
24:16correct
24:17or incorrect
24:19surely this
24:20House is
24:20entitled to
24:21know that
24:22Thank you
24:25Madam
24:25Deputy Speaker
24:26I thank the
24:27Honourable Member
24:28for his
24:29question
24:29we do not
24:31comment on
24:32unverified
24:33unverified
24:35leaks
24:36now my
24:37officials have
24:38acknowledged from
24:39internal reviews
24:40that the
24:41interpretation of
24:42what an
24:42absconder is
24:43requires clear
24:45definition in
24:46departmental
24:47policy
24:48work is now
24:49underway to
24:50amend guidance
24:50and operational
24:51processes so
24:52that it is
24:53clearer for
24:54immigration officials
24:55interacting with
24:56individuals to
24:57know when an
24:58absconder marker
24:59should be
25:00associated with a
25:01person enabling
25:02them to take the
25:03right action in a
25:04timely way of
25:05course there is
25:07more to do
25:07one moment which
25:09is why we are
25:10implementing the
25:10most significant
25:11immigration and
25:12asylum reforms in
25:13modern times
25:14I'm grateful for
25:16the Minister for
25:17giving way because
25:18it's really
25:18important when we
25:19talk about emotive
25:21subjects like this
25:22about establishing
25:22the facts because
25:23the member opposite
25:24recently railed on
25:26social media about
25:27illegal migrants
25:29coming to Great
25:29Yarmouth his
25:30constituency
25:31they happen to be
25:32canoeists
25:33transversing the
25:36Atlantic for the
25:37motor neuron disease
25:39fundraising course
25:40now he is
25:41billion no mates
25:42he's like some
25:44latter-day King
25:44Canute without his
25:46courtiers on the
25:47beach railing at the
25:49tide to go backwards
25:50does he not agree
25:51and I hope for the
25:52record Madam Deputy
25:53Speaker I pronounce
25:55Canute correctly
25:56thank you Madam
26:00Deputy Speaker and I
26:01thank my honourable
26:02friend for his
26:03question I think it's
26:04it's really important
26:06Madam Deputy
26:06Speaker in public
26:08life to ensure we're
26:10not sensationalising
26:11and not raising the
26:13temperature on such
26:14an important and
26:16divisive issue and
26:17that is precisely why
26:18Madam Deputy
26:19Speaker we in the
26:21Home Secretary and
26:22the Home Secretary are
26:23looking to restore
26:24order and control to
26:25this system so the
26:27likes of the honourable
26:28member cannot use it
26:29as a divisive tool for
26:31their own political
26:32ends
26:33I'll now move to the
26:35published figures and
26:38address some of the
26:39questions around that
26:40Madam Deputy
26:40Speaker the
26:42government is not in a
26:43position to state the
26:44current levels of
26:45illegal migrants whose
26:46whereabouts are unknown
26:47and this is because the
26:49information is not
26:50current available from
26:51published statistics
26:53the data would have to
26:54be taken from a live
26:56operational database
26:58and include historical
27:00records which means that
27:02any figures would not be
27:04sufficiently robust and
27:05not verified
27:07Madam Deputy
27:09Speaker before I finish I
27:12will again thank the
27:13honourable member for
27:14securing this debate and
27:16all others who have
27:17contributed
27:18these issues are a source
27:21of concern for many of
27:23our constituents Madam
27:24Deputy Speaker and it is
27:27right that they are
27:27discussed in this house
27:29perhaps inevitably given
27:32the subject matter a
27:33range of views and
27:34arguments have been
27:36advanced so let me
27:38conclude therefore by
27:40reasserting the
27:41government's stance we
27:43will not stand for abuse
27:45of our immigration system
27:47we will always put the
27:49safety of our citizens and
27:51security of our nation
27:54first and we will use
27:55every possible measure to
27:57find and remove those
27:58individuals with no right
28:00to be in this country
28:02you
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