PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre - 20 March 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

Debate Detail

Contributions from Robert Jenrick, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Alba
Neale Hanvey
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
9. Whether she has had recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the operation of the Dungavel House immigration removal centre.
  15:08:10
Robert Jenrick
The Minister for Immigration
There is regular contact between Dungavel House immigration removal centre and relevant local stakeholders, as necessary, on issues relating to the day-to-day running of the centre. Although immigration is not a devolved matter, we will keep the Scottish Government informed should there be any significant changes.
  15:08:49
Neale Hanvey
I share my constituents’ shock at the distasteful photoshoot of the Home Secretary outside the transportation camp in Rwanda. Will she set out the following in regards to Dungavel? How will this whole process work? How many refugees at Dungavel House are earmarked for transportation to Rwanda? How many are children or pregnant women? If the Home Secretary cannot give us those numbers now, I am happy to receive a letter later.
  15:09:25
Robert Jenrick
Well, I share the disappointment at those who peddle misinformation of any kind. However, with respect to Dungavel House, it is an immigration removal centre and it is used routinely to detain, prior to removal, foreign national offenders and those who have entered our country illegally and whom we are seeking to remove. The hon. Gentleman and I may disagree on this issue. We on the Government side of the House want to remove foreign national offenders. We do not want them to remain in the UK. We also do not want to close detention centres. The right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Keir Starmer) campaigned to be Leader of the Opposition on a pledge to close detention centres, but we want to get dangerous offenders such as murderers and rapists out of this country.

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