Ashfield MP Blasts 'Disgraceful' Home Office on Channel Migrants Carrying Weapons.

The Minister for Border Security and Asylum has defended the Home Office not recording data on weapons seized from channel migrants saying that "it would impede our efficient process."

The Reform UK Member of Parliament for Ashfield has blasted the Government as 'disgraceful' as they admit that they do not record data on channel migrants carrying weapons.

In October, Lee Anderson, wrote to the Home Secretary following a vague response he says he received on one of his written questions around those crossing the channel with drugs and weapons.

The MP wrote "The former Minister confirmed in her response to one of my questions that 'some small weapons - for example, knives - have occasionally been seized as a result of searches.' Can you please confirm exactly how many knives have been found and when these knives were found?"

Alex Norris MP, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, wrote back to Ashfield's Reform MP a month later, informing him that this data is not recorded by the Home Office.

The Minister wrote "I can assure you that all small boat arrivals go through the protective search process, meaning we remove all knives and sharp items. However, it would impede our efficient process of enabling and fulfilling all our other mandatory duties and obligations in every case engaged, to record and count every bladed article which is duly seized."

Lee Anderson MP took to social media to attack the response:

"So despite the obvious risk to public safety, criminal implications, and the implications on their asylum claim, the Government thinks those illegally arriving on our shores with an offensive weapon is not worth recording, because it would apparently interfere with their other jobs."

"This Government is a disgrace."