Immigration and asylum

What positions have MPs and peers taken on immigration and asylum, including small boat crossings, over the past twelve months?

A briefing written by AI (Claude) from the Hansard records cited below, prepared 28 October 2026 from records up to 27 October 2026. Check the sources before relying on it.

In brief

• Government ministers presented the small boats policy as working, as when Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said "Small boat returns under this Government are at a record high, and our Immigration and Asylum Bill will help us to remove people faster than ever before." [Source 1]
• The Conservatives argued the Immigration and Asylum Bill does not go far enough, as when Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said crossing by small boat is "tantamount to an automatic right to stay here" [Source 4].
• Liberal Democrat and some Labour backbench voices stressed safe routes and the tone of the debate, as when Will Forster said "We need more of them, not fewer" [Source 3].

Government ministers - confident in results

Ministers pointed to enforcement figures and the France deal, as when Alex Norris, Minister of State, said "Over 42,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the election." [Source 2]

• Norris said the new UK–France agreement is conditional: "If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year." [Source 2]

Conservatives - critical, wanting tougher measures

The frontbench said the Bill identifies the right problems but falls short, as when Shadow Minister Matt Vickers said "The Home Secretary and I agree on much of the diagnosis; we disagree on the cure." [Source 8]

• Chris Philp's reasoned amendment said the Bill's measures "will not be effective while the UK remains in the European Convention on Human Rights" [Source 6].
• Esther McVey, a backbencher, said the Government must "reinstate the Rwanda scheme, take the UK out of the ECHR and repeal the Human Rights Act 1998" [Source 22].
• In the Lords, Lord Murray of Blidworth argued that low return rates "create a very significant pull factor for migrants to enter illegally" [Source 19]. Lord Davies of Gower said the party "broadly support the direction of travel" [Source 9] of the Immigration Rules changes.

Labour backbenchers - supportive, with warnings on rhetoric and rights

Backbenchers largely backed the Government but differed in emphasis, as when Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) said "I will not support language that turns legitimate concern into racial hostility" [Source 13].

• Bell Ribeiro-Addy argued that channel crossings are "irregular, not illegal, because it is not illegal to seek asylum" [Source 10].
• Sarah Owen asked "What evidence does the Secretary of State have that taking personal belongings, such as jewellery, from refugees and selling it off actually works as a deterrent?" [Source 16]

Liberal Democrats - safe routes and EU cooperation

Will Forster argued that "We need a watertight arrangement with the EU that would mean everyone arriving by small boat is at risk of being returned." [Source 3]

• Manuela Perteghella said "there must be safe routes for those fleeing war and persecution" [Source 21].

Northern Ireland Assembly - divided

Naomi Long (Alliance) said "if people are being deported, it is because the immigration system is doing its job" [Source 25], while David Brooks (DUP) described "organised crime, and modern-day slavers... running a deadly ferry service" [Source 26].

Committee witnesses - small boats are a minority

Dr Mihnea Cuibus of the Oxford Migration Observatory told the Home Affairs Committee that small boats account for "only a minority of all asylum applications" [Source 29]. Duncan Capps, Interim Border Security Commander, told two committees "I would not use the word 'crisis'" [Source 27] of irregular migration in Northern Ireland.

About the evidence: The records are selective extracts, with no division results, and many sources are single interventions. The Northern Ireland Assembly decides many of its own subjects, and its members are not members of the UK Parliament; committee witnesses' words are evidence, not the views of Parliament.

Sources

1. Shabana Mahmood (Labour; MP for Birmingham Ladywood, city seat (West Midlands urban area, 2.4m people), West Midlands; role on this date: The Secretary of State for the Home Department) — House of Commons — 26 October 2026 — col. 1 — Home Department — Small Boat Crossings: Removal of Arrivals
2. Alex Norris (Labour/Co-operative; MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley, city seat (Nottingham urban area, 730,000 people), East Midlands; role on this date: The Minister of State, Home Department) — Written answer, Commons written answers — 29 April 2026 — Home Office — Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
3. Will Forster (Liberal Democrat; MP for Woking, town seat (urban area of 105,000), South East; role on this date: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Immigration and Asylum)) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — Westminster Hall — 13 July 2026 — col. 262 — Illegal Immigrants: Offshore Detention and Deportation — [Derek Twigg in the Chair]
4. Chris Philp (Conservative; MP for Croydon South, city seat (Greater London urban area, 8.1m people), London; role on this date: Shadow Home Secretary) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 681 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
5. Alex Norris (Labour/Co-operative; MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley, city seat (Nottingham urban area, 730,000 people), East Midlands; role on this date: The Minister of State, Home Department) — Written statement, Commons written statements — 23 April 2026 — UIN hcws1540 — Home Office — Illegal Migration: Small Boat Crossings
6. Chris Philp (Conservative; MP for Croydon South, city seat (Greater London urban area, 8.1m people), London; role on this date: Shadow Home Secretary) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 679 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
7. Matt Vickers (Conservative; MP for Stockton West, city seat (Teesside urban area, 377,000 people), North East; role on this date: Shadow Minister (Crime, Policing and Fire)) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — Public Bill Committee — 15 September 2026 — col. 48 — Immigration and Asylum Bill — Public Bill Committee — Examination of Witness
8. Matt Vickers (Conservative; MP for Stockton West, city seat (Teesside urban area, 377,000 people), North East; role on this date: Shadow Minister (Crime, Policing and Fire)) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 718 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
9. Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: Shadow Minister (Home Office)) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Lords — 14 April 2026 — col. 318 — Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules - Motion to Regret
10. Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour; MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, city seat (Greater London urban area, 8.1m people), London; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 25 November 2025 — col. 59 — Immigration Reforms: Humanitarian Visa Routes — [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair]
11. Will Forster (Liberal Democrat; MP for Woking, town seat (urban area of 105,000), South East; role on this date: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Immigration and Asylum)) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — Written question, Commons written answers — 7 January 2026 — UIN 101685 — Home Office — Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
12. Zubir Ahmed (Labour; MP for Glasgow South West, city seat (Greater Glasgow urban area, 1.0m people), Scotland; role on this date: backbencher) — Public Bill Committee — 15 September 2026 — col. 41 — Immigration and Asylum Bill — Public Bill Committee — Examination of Witnesses
13. Jonathan Brash (Labour; MP for Hartlepool, town seat (urban area of 89,000), North East; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 13 July 2026 — col. 252 — Illegal Immigrants: Offshore Detention and Deportation — [Derek Twigg in the Chair]
14. Chris Murray (Labour; MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, city seat (Edinburgh urban area, 521,000 people), Scotland; role on this date: backbencher) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 666 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
15. Lord Empey (UUP; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: backbencher) — Written question, Lords written answers — 29 September 2026 — UIN HL3535 — Home Office — Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
16. Sarah Owen (Labour; MP for Luton North, city seat (Luton urban area, 258,000 people), East of England; role on this date: Chair, Women and Equalities Committee) — House of Commons — 17 November 2025 — col. 523 — Asylum Policy
17. Lewis Cocking (Conservative; MP for Broxbourne, town seat (urban area of 46,000), East of England; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 704 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
18. Lord Faulks (Non-affiliated; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Lords — 11 December 2025 — col. 389 — The UK’s Demographic Future - Motion to Take Note
19. Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Lords — 18 May 2026 — col. 239 — King’s Speech - Debate (3rd Day)
20. Nick Smith (Labour; MP for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, town seat (urban area of 33,000), Wales; role on this date: Chair, Administration Committee) — House of Commons — 29 October 2025 — col. 331 — Asylum Seekers: MOD Housing
21. Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat; MP for Stratford-on-Avon, rural seat, West Midlands; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 9 March 2026 — col. 37 — Immigration Policy
22. Esther McVey (Conservative; MP for Tatton, town seat (urban area of 36,000), North West; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 13 July 2026 — col. 257 — Illegal Immigrants: Offshore Detention and Deportation — [Derek Twigg in the Chair]
23. Jim Shannon (DUP; MP for Strangford, rural seat, Northern Ireland; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 17 December 2025 — col. 386 — Asylum Reforms: Protected Characteristics — [Dr Rupa Huq in the Chair]
24. Karen Bradley (Conservative; MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, town seat (urban area of 20,000), West Midlands; role on this date: Chair, Home Affairs Committee) — House of Commons — 13 July 2026 — col. 692 — Immigration and Asylum Bill
25. Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 30 June 2026 — Oral Answers to Questions — Justice — Illegal Immigration
26. David Brooks (DUP, Belfast East) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 19 May 2026 — Members' Statements — Illegal Immigration
27. Duncan Capps CBE (Interim Border Security Commander, Home Office) — Oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee; Northern Ireland Affairs Committee — 7 July 2026 — Public disorder and irregular migration in Northern Ireland
28. Dr Madeleine Sumption MBE (Director, Migration Observatory) — Oral evidence to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee — 27 January 2026 — Settlement, Citizenship and Integration
29. Dr Mihnea Cuibus (Researcher, Oxford Migration Observatory) — Oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee — 16 December 2025 — Asylum and Returns Policy