Take action to stop illegal immigration and rapidly remove illegal immigrants
This petition gathered 126,439 signatures between 8 July 2020 and 8 January 2021, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 8 October 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 19 October 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Take action to stop illegal immigration and rapidly remove illegal immigrants
Illegal immigrants are entering the UK in many different ways, including small boats from France which are not stopped by either French or British forces.
The Government should take action to reduce illegal immigration into the UK and enable the rapid removal of immigrants found to be here illegally.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 8 October 2020; the petitions site lists the Home Office as responsible. Its summary:
The Government is committed to tackling illegal migration. We are working to strengthen borders, tackle organised immigration crime, overcome rigid legal barriers to removal, and overhaul the system.
The opening 391 words of the 831-word response:
We have a duty to prevent loss of life and to protect our borders. That’s why we are doing everything we can to stop these dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and all forms of clandestine entry and bring to justice the criminals behind them.
The UK has long been a sanctuary for those in need of international protection, but the UK Government is clear that those in genuine need should seek that protection in the first safe country that they reach. France is such a safe country, with a fully functioning asylum system – over 100,000 asylum claims lodged last year; EU Member States are manifestly safe countries. People needing to seek protection who are in France can and should claim asylum there. They have no reason to travel in a highly dangerous way to the UK instead. In setting to sea in unseaworthy craft across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, migrants risk their lives and the lives of those who rescue them. This is unacceptable behaviour which will not be tolerated.
As such, the dissuasion, disruption and deterrence of migrants using these routes is a cross-departmental priority. The Home Secretary and her officials, including recently-appointed Clandestine Channel Threat Commander Dan O’Mahoney, are working with their counterparts across Government and law enforcement, and with European partners, to tackle those who do this and to punish the criminals who profit from them.
We are working closely with the French to prevent these crossings. That engagement has seen us invest significantly in security and surveillance, including the use of cutting-edge technology and patrols of the beaches by French officers, some of whom we fund, and the foundation of a Joint Intelligence Cell. This year alone, over 3,000 crossing attempts were stopped by the French authorities – nearly 50% of all attempts. But more needs to be done.
Border Force has a Cutter and two Coastal Patrol Vessels patrolling the Channel, monitoring and securely escorting any small boats evading French partners. Safety of life at sea is paramount, so our focus is on preventing crossings and rapidly returning those who do get across. We intend to use legislation and reach further agreement with the French Government to develop our tactical response. Our goal is to render use of small boats unviable by linking this with an inability to remain in the UK.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 771, came from Folkestone and Hythe.
124,923 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,516 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Folkestone and Hythe | 771 |
| Dover | 722 |
| South Basildon and East Thurrock | 476 |
| Sittingbourne and Sheppey | 455 |
| Ashford | 430 |
| South Thanet | 405 |
| Thurrock | 399 |
| North Thanet | 394 |
| Clacton | 385 |
| Rochester and Strood | 383 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 20,133 |
| North West | 15,187 |
| East of England | 13,646 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 12,117 |
| West Midlands | 11,656 |
| South West | 11,042 |
| East Midlands | 9,977 |
| London | 9,454 |
| North East | 7,504 |
| Wales | 5,806 |
| Scotland | 4,949 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,363 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 19 October 2020. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/321862.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
66b27be328f6b393… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.