Tory MP agrees 17,000 missing migrants is an ‘utter shambles’ in damning comment

Tory MP’s response when asked about 17,000 missing migrants

A Tory minister has agreed immigration is an “utter shambles” as it emerged more than 17,000 asylum seekers have gone missing.

Appearing on LBC Radio today Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat was grilled by presenter Nick Ferrari over the damning information released this week.

Addressing the worrying news, Mr Ferrari said: “The Home Office appears to confess that it doesn’t know the whereabouts of some 17,000 people whose asylum claims have been withdrawn, Mr Tugendhat, this is an utter shambles, what’s going to be done about it?

Taking Mr Ferrari’s comments on the chin, Mr Tugendhat responds by saying “you’re absolutely right” and the Security Minister added that it was “incredibly important that we identify exactly where individuals are”.

He continued: “That’s why I’m very glad that the new Home Secretary James Cleverly is one this already, what he’s going to be doing is making sure that we get to the bottom of where this has happened and where this has gone wrong.”

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And adding some defence to the Government’s position, Mr Tugendhat said: “But it’s also worth pointing out that we have increased the number of the numbers of migrants who’ve failed on asylum seekers being expelled from the country.

“We’ve seen an increase of 50 percent in the last year have been expelled, non-voluntarily, and an increase of 74 percent who’ve been repatriated voluntarily.”

Shrugging his shoulders Mr Tugendhat said he accepted it was a “mixed picture” but he said “we are definitely working on making sure we’re delivering” before adding “because the numbers are, as you know, and I know Nick, they are too high.”

Nick Ferrari responds: “But this is totally unacceptable isn’t it? you’d have to agree with that?”

Mr Tugendhat nods saying “you’ve heard me say, exactly that.”

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Rishi Sunak has vowed to “do what is necessary” to bring net migration down as he sought to blame the “very large numbers” on his predecessors.

The Prime Minister said he had “inherited” the figures but he was “determined” to bring them back down to “sustainable levels”.

It comes after revised estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published last week showed net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country – reached a record 745,000 in 2022.

This was higher than previously thought and prompted Tory calls for curbs.

During a visit to Guildford, Surrey, on Thursday, Mr Sunak told reporters: “The levels of legal migration to this country are simply too high.

“I’ve inherited these very large numbers and I’m determined to do what is necessary to bring them back down to sustainable levels.”

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