Government responds to huge petition demanding inquiry into UK illegal migration

The Government has responded to a petition calling for the establishment of a public inquiry into illegal migration to the UK. The online document, set up by Simon Worley in July, stated: “We call on the Government to launch a full-scale public inquiry into illegal migration in the UK. The inquiry should investigate the effectiveness of UK border control, the financial cost on taxpayers, and the deportation system. Thousands of people illegally migrate to the UK each year. We believe this has negatively impacted the UK to a significant extent and resulted in some people feeling unsafe walking the streets.

“Furthermore, we believe it has brought a great burden onto taxpayers as the Government has had to pay for more support for illegal migrants.” At the time of writing, the petition has 79,269 signatures. If it gets 100,000, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

The petition closes on January 15. The Home Office said on September 21: “The Government is subject to ongoing scrutiny here through parliament, and by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration.

“The Government doesn’t consider a public inquiry necessary.” Officials added: “The Government recognises the scale of the challenges inherited across the immigration and asylum system.

“Since taking office, the Government has publicly committed to reducing illegal migration and restoring public confidence in the immigration system and has put in place a wide-ranging programme of reform to restore order and control, including strengthened border security measures, increased enforcement activity, faster decision-making and higher levels of removals. Further changes are being developed and implemented through the Government’s wider immigration and asylum reform programme. The Government is investing heavily in border security and international cooperation.

“Through the Border Security Command, law enforcement agencies are working alongside international partners to disrupt organised immigration crime, dismantle people-smuggling networks and strengthen enforcement activity across the migration route. In addition, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act has provided law enforcement with stronger powers to tackle organised immigration crime and further protect the UK’s borders.”

It comes as the Government’s “one in, one out” deal with France, aimed at curbing migrant Channel crossings, was scrapped in September. The Home Office said the pilot scheme is “no longer processing new cases”, after France reportedly demanded a Europe-wide deal instead.

UK ministers would have willingly seen it continue, it is understood. Under the scheme, people who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel could be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers who applied through a safe and legal route.

Some 1,500 asylum seekers had been deported as of October 1, while slightly fewer than that came to Britain from France, PA reported. The Home Office added in response to the petition: “We are also transforming the asylum system through the Restoring Order and Control policy statement […] and Immigration and Asylum Bill which was introduced on 30 June 2026. These reforms will create a firmer and fairer system by simplifying decision-making, reducing legal challenges, increasing removals, and reducing the incentives that drive illegal migration.

“The Government is committed to ensuring that protection is available to those who genuinely need it, while making it harder for the system to be abused and easier to remove those with no right to remain in the UK. Since July 2024, we have arrested 1,900 criminals involved in organised immigration gangs, disrupted criminal smuggling activity at record levels, and with France, prevented more than 46,000 attempted Channel crossings.

“We have removed over 78,000 people (an increase of 52%) with no right to be here and delivered returns of small boat arrivals at record levels. We are continuing to exit asylum hotels, with fewer than 160 now remaining, reduced from 400 in use at the peak of 2023.

“Record numbers of asylum decisions have been made, and the introduction of a new 24-week target for deciding asylum and immigration appeals for those in accommodation and foreign national offenders will cut delays further from the current average wait of 67 weeks. Overall, asylum costs have fallen by £1 billion since the 2024 general election.

“The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) is a government appointed official responsible for providing independent scrutiny of the UK’s border and immigration functions […] The Government is regularly publicly scrutinised through several channels to monitor the effectiveness of its policies.

“The Home Affairs Committee is a cross-party committee of MPs responsible for scrutinising the work of the Home Office and its associated bodies. It examines government policy, spending and the law, in areas including immigration […] The Home Office recognises the public interest in illegal migration and, as such, regularly provides policy updates including consultation papers […]

“Furthermore, the National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog. They are responsible for supporting Parliament in holding the Government to account by providing high-quality audits […] Recent reports in 2025 include an analysis of the asylum system, and a report on the Home Office’s asylum accommodation contracts to support the Home Affairs Committee inquiry.

“Therefore, the Government is already subject to extensive public and parliamentary scrutiny to monitor the effectiveness of such policies and delivery. This, combined with the substantial package of work already underway and existing oversight mechanisms, the Government does not consider that a public inquiry is necessary to identify these challenges or determine how they should be addressed.”