Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer calls on Home Office to 'raise the bar' on immigration

Mrs Mortimer sought assurances from Home Secretary, James Cleverly, and Immigration Minister, Robert Jenrick, that the Home Office would “raise the bar” to modernise the UK’s asylum application process and address the rising numbers of migrants and asylum seekers.

She said: “Much of Europe is in a dire state because of mass immigration. We cannot let the UK go the same way.”

The number of successful asylum claims was 75% in 2022, the highest rate since 1990, and revised Office of National Statistics figures announced last week put net migration at 745,000.

Mr Jenrick agreed that the UK’s immigration figures for some nationalities are above countries in Europe, but said the Home Office had undertaken “extensive work” to lower them.

He said successful Albanian asylum applications have fallen from 53% in June of last year to 19% this year.

Georgia and India have also been added to the list of safe states to speed up returns of illegal migrants living here.

Mrs Mortimer sparked controversy last month when she demanded in Parliament that illegal asylum seekers be expelled immediately from Hartlepool.

Speaking after Monday’s question in the chamber, she said: “I am often contacted by constituents who are concerned about the rising numbers of mass immigration to our country and our home, Hartlepool.”

Ms Mortimer added: “I will continue to push for a more stringent application process, and to bring our current conventions and international treaties into the present day so that the flights and further immigration measures will go ahead.”