London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Not detaining child migrants creates pull factor - Sunak

Not detaining child migrants creates pull factor - Sunak

Exempting children arriving in the UK on small boats from detention would create a "pull factor" and would put minors at risk, Rishi Sunak has said.

The government's Illegal Migration Bill creates new powers to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally.

On Tuesday, the prime minister argued these plans must include families so there was no "incentive" for people to bring children with them.

He also downplayed suggestions the Rwanda scheme could begin this summer.

Asked about the treatment of children at the Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak said: "The intention of this policy is not to detain children.

"But it's important that we don't inadvertently create a policy that incentivises people to bring children who wouldn't otherwise come here.

"We don't want to create a pull factor to make it more likely that children are making this very perilous journey in conditions that are appalling."

Under the Illegal Migration Bill, those arriving in the UK illegally will be detained and removed, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country.

The bill also removes previous limits, which meant families with children could only be detained for 72 hours before being deported.

By law, councils have a duty to safeguard under-18s in their area. Unaccompanied children illegally brought to the UK would be exempt from detention and deportation, though the bill does allow the home secretary to arrange for their removal anyway.

Under questioning from Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chair of the Equalities Select Committee, Mr Sunak said children would not be "separated from their families" and would be housed in appropriate accommodation before being removed.

The prime minister said it would the Home Office's responsibility to oversee this.

The legislation, unveiled earlier this month, would also prevent anyone entering the UK illegally from claiming asylum.

Over 45,000 people reached the UK via the dangerous route last year - up from around 300 in 2018


The Illegal Migration Bill is currently being fast-tracked through the House of Commons. MPs debated the bill in detail on Tuesday.

Mr Sunak has had to defend the bill from rebellions from both wings of his party - agreeing to discuss further measures with those wanting to toughen up the bill.

At the Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak repeatedly refused to criticise Suella Braverman's claims the UK faced an "invasion" of migrants.

Dame Diana Johnson, Labour's Home Affairs Committee chair, asked if the home secretary's language was "politically charged".

Mr Sunak told the Liaison Committee: "It's very clear that the scale of the problem is significant and growing.

"When you've had a quadrupling or quintupling of the number of illegal arrivals in the space of just two years, it's important to actually recognise the pace of what's happening, and that's a very large number and it's growing very quickly."

Earlier this month several papers reported a source in the Home Office claiming there were plans to get flights to Rwanda off the ground by the summer.

Under the scheme the Home Office will run a five-year trial to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, to claim asylum there.

But Mr Sunak said: "No one has promised flights by the summer. What we've said is we'll start flights as soon as we can after legal proceedings have completed."


What is the Liaison Committee?


The Liaison Committee is a super-committee made up of the chairs of 14 senior select committees.

The heads of committees covering areas such as home affairs, foreign affairs and the Treasury come together to form a team of policy specialists to question the government's record in office.

They are presided over by Sir Bernard Jenkin, who is chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

It meets three times a year, specifically to scrutinise the work of the prime minister. Like the Houses of Parliament, the majority of members of the committee are Conservative MPs.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×