Phil Douglas shares thoughts on asylum seekers returning for Xmas
A police chief has revealed that asylum seekers have been stopped at airports trying to go home for Christmas.
Border Force Chief Phil Douglas was talking to LBC about how the Border Force conducts outbound checks during Christmas time when he mentioned the incidents.
He said: “We do outbound checks on people to certain flights that are prevalent.
“We do find a lot of people who have claimed asylum in this country and are heading back to their home country for holidays which obviously isn’t allowed.”
Chief Douglas’ comments came as Home Secretary James Cleverly claimed that some people coming to the UK are economic migrants.
READ MORE: Why Nigel Farage as Tory leader is a bad idea! Leave him on GB News
James Cleverly said there were no ongoing discussions with airlines over Rwanda (Image: Getty)
Mr Cleverly said the UK had always been “a very generous country to…people who are genuinely seeking protection from persecution, from war, from violence”.
He added that the government recognised there were a lot of people who were “fundamentally economic migrants” and to them, his message was that if they came here illegally they would be sent home.
Immigration has been a key topic in recent weeks after intense scrutiny over the government’s Rwanda plan which has seen more than ￡350million sent to the country.
Despite this external investment, no migrants have yet been sent to Rwanda.
Don't miss...
Tories fume as ministers makes major immigration u-turn - and confirm delay [REPORT]
Ministers scale back proposed ￡38k wage threshold for family visas [INSIGHT]
Immigration is tearing apart the EU all over again [REVEAL]
Mr Cleverly said the government was not yet at a stage where they could have negotiations with airlines who would fly the migrants out.
He said he would fight hard against anyone who tried to stop recent legislation from going through. He warned: “I'm very proud of what we did in that initial drafting. So we think we're pretty much there.
“But the whole point of the parliamentary process is for people to feed in their ideas, feed in their amendments, feed in their thoughts.
“What I've always said is attempts like Keir Starmer’s stunt to try and kill off the bill before it even started progressing through the house. We will very robustly defend ourselves against that.”
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Inside Keir Starmer's 'alternative Rwanda plan' which could involve help from the EU
232 Comments
Rishi Sunak dealt crushing election blow as pollster warns major issue threatens his job
540 Comments
Tories row back on ￡38k migrant family visa plan
Comments
Rwanda will tear Tories apart or force snap election, MPs warn
220 Comments
Migrant arrivals may force ￡8million-a-day hotel bill to rise
970 Comments
Rishi Sunak 'in last chance saloon' warns Brexiteer MP as he fears election 'catastrophe'
50 Comments
Inside secret plans to take out evil smuggling gangs flooding UK with illegal migrants
379 Comments
UK will ‘destroy evil channel migrant gangs' says Secretary of State Grant Shapps
535 Comments
UN 'at odds' over Rwanda as they already send refugees there, James Cleverly fumes
106 Comments
Why Nigel Farage as Tory leader is a bad idea! Leave him on GB News, says Jakes Thrupp
12 Comments
'Reeks of nepotism': Outrage as 'desperate' SNP gives major role to ex-party president
63 Comments
Tory MPs warn Rishi Sunak's migration climbdown is 'sign of weakness'
102 Comments
Russia follows lead of EU in bizarre move as it copies bloc's visa rules
16 Comments
Britain 'snubbed' as Italy secures Rwanda-style migrant deal with Albania
115 Comments
Labour's alternative Rwanda plan will lead to 'mass migration', Tory minister warns
664 Comments
MPs worry that Labour scrapping Rwanda policy could attract illegal migration
118 Comments
Labour weighing up 'offshore' alternative to Rishi Sunak's Rwanda plan
102 Comments
Ministers scale back proposed ￡38k wage threshold for family visas
200 Comments
James Cleverly says Keir Starmer 'would let tens of thousands of illegal migrants' into UK
208 Comments
Britain may stand alone next year in lurching to the left, says Patrick O'Flynn
19 Comments
Inside Keir Starmer's 'alternative Rwanda plan' which could involve help from the EU
232 Comments
Rishi Sunak dealt crushing election blow as pollster warns major issue threatens his job
540 Comments
Tories row back on ￡38k migrant family visa plan
Comments
Rwanda will tear Tories apart or force snap election, MPs warn
220 Comments
Migrant arrivals may force ￡8million-a-day hotel bill to rise
970 Comments
Rishi Sunak 'in last chance saloon' warns Brexiteer MP as he fears election 'catastrophe'
50 Comments
Inside secret plans to take out evil smuggling gangs flooding UK with illegal migrants
379 Comments
UK will ‘destroy evil channel migrant gangs' says Secretary of State Grant Shapps
535 Comments
UN 'at odds' over Rwanda as they already send refugees there, James Cleverly fumes
106 Comments
Why Nigel Farage as Tory leader is a bad idea! Leave him on GB News, says Jakes Thrupp
12 Comments
'Reeks of nepotism': Outrage as 'desperate' SNP gives major role to ex-party president
63 Comments
Tory MPs warn Rishi Sunak's migration climbdown is 'sign of weakness'
102 Comments
Russia follows lead of EU in bizarre move as it copies bloc's visa rules
16 Comments
Britain 'snubbed' as Italy secures Rwanda-style migrant deal with Albania
115 Comments
Labour's alternative Rwanda plan will lead to 'mass migration', Tory minister warns
664 Comments
MPs worry that Labour scrapping Rwanda policy could attract illegal migration
118 Comments
Labour weighing up 'offshore' alternative to Rishi Sunak's Rwanda plan
102 Comments
Ministers scale back proposed ￡38k wage threshold for family visas
200 Comments
James Cleverly says Keir Starmer 'would let tens of thousands of illegal migrants' into UK
208 Comments
Britain may stand alone next year in lurching to the left, says Patrick O'Flynn
19 Comments
Inside Keir Starmer's 'alternative Rwanda plan' which could involve help from the EU
232 Comments
Rishi Sunak dealt crushing election blow as pollster warns major issue threatens his job
540 Comments
Tories row back on ￡38k migrant family visa plan
Comments
Rwanda will tear Tories apart or force snap election, MPs warn
220 Comments
Migrant arrivals may force ￡8million-a-day hotel bill to rise
970 Comments
Rishi Sunak 'in last chance saloon' warns Brexiteer MP as he fears election 'catastrophe'
50 Comments
Inside secret plans to take out evil smuggling gangs flooding UK with illegal migrants
379 Comments
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
Trending
In common with Mr Cleverly, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to say whether any airline would fly migrants to Rwanda.
He told MPs at a Commons liaison committee: “I’m confident that we will have the ability to send people to Rwanda. You wouldn’t expect me to comment on commercial conversations.
“It’s absolutely right for what are commercially sensitive negotiations that there is a degree of ability for the government to negotiate these things and then provide the appropriate level of transparency to parliament, which it is doing on an annual basis.”
Related articles Inside plans to take down smuggling gangs flooding Britain with illegal migrants Horror moment violent fight breaks out at former RAF base asylum centre Disaster for Emmanuel Macron as rebellion takes hold and top minister quits Stark poll shows Tory fightback rests on gripping immigration Marine Le Pen's 'kiss of death' to Emmanuel Macron as France's divisions deepen