Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
Commons · Question 103423 · Tabled 6 Jan 2026 · Home Office · Official record
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Question
Asked by Lee Anderson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what background checks her Department conducts on migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Answer
Answered by Alex Norris, 13 Jan 2026
The Home Office conducts mandatory identity and security checks on all small boat arrivals.As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data-such as facial images and fingerprints-to establish identity. These biometrics are checked against ...