Speaking during her contribution, Carla Lockhart MP said:

“There must be zero tolerance for illegal entry into the United Kingdom and there must be swift removal of anyone who has no right to be here. I made it clear to the Minister that Northern Ireland deserves the same protection, stability and control as every other part of the UK in any new legislation. Fairness matters, but so does enforcing the law.

Illegal immigration is pushing Northern Ireland’s services to the limit and piling pressure on communities that are already stretched to capacity. Operating under different legal rules than the rest of the UK only makes the situation even more challenging.

This cannot be ignored any longer. I urged the Minister to ensure that Northern Ireland is treated fairly and that firm, consistent enforcement is applied across all four nations.”