Lee Anderson's 6-word broadside for Keir Starmer over asylum seeker tracking farce

Lee Anderson has branded Sir Keir Starmer's Government "a complete disgrace" after Home Office answers to his questions revealed no systematic monitoring of failed asylum seekers' whereabouts in the UK. In two parliamentary written questions tabled last week and answered on October 31, Mr Anderson, the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, examined the department's handling of refused asylum claims.

The responses, signed by Minister of State Alex Norris, exposed what Mr Anderson regards as a weak enforcement system which allows thousands of rejected migrants to remain in the UK without checks. The first question, submitted on October 30, asked about procedures after a claim is rejected. Mr Anderson said the response stated that applicants without appeal rights are expected to leave voluntarily, and if they do not, they can be subject to enforced removal. He added that those denied an appeal can also apply for judicial review.

Mr Anderson said on X, formerly Twitter: "This Labour Government quite simply does not have the will to deport illegal migrants," posting a screenshot of the response.

The post gained more than 159,000 views, drawing both support from Reform UK supporters and criticism from Labour supporters, who called him a turncoat after his 13 years as a Conservative.

Mr Anderson followed up the next day with a second question, asking if the Home Office keeps records of the locations of all refused asylum seekers.

In reply, Mr Norris emphasised that asylum seekers are not detained and that the department relies on them to update their accommodation details if they are not in Home Office accommodation. The department publishes quarterly data on returns, with the latest figures up to June 2025.

Mr Anderson said on X: "Labour are allowing foreign men who have failed the asylum process wander freely in Britain and don't have a clue where they are." The post received 358,000 views and 7,200 likes. He shared the response, prompting angry replies online.

One supporter described it as a "pathetic joke" and likened it to "trusting a fox to guard the henhouse." Another called for Home Office officials to face charges of "gross dereliction of duty".

The answers highlight ongoing problems with UK immigration policy. Home Office figures show asylum applications rose to 111,000 in the year to June 2025, while enforced returns increased slightly to 9,838 - far short of the backlog.

Critics including Mr Anderson blame years of poor enforcement under previous governments, but accuse Labour of delays caused by legal challenges and human rights concerns.

This is not the first time Mr Anderson has criticised asylum policy. In 2023, he told unhappy asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge to "f*** off back to France," which led to him being stripped of the Conservative whip. Now with Reform, he has made border security a priority, pledging to "end this madness" of housing migrants in hotels.

The row highlights divisions over immigration in Westminster. Reform UK, led by Mr Nigel Farage, has gained ground in opinion polls by tapping into public anger over Channel crossings, which reached 29,000 this year.

Mr Anderson's comments echo demands for a border security bill to cut arrivals and speed up removals, although lawyers warn of potential cases at the European Court of Human Rights.

SNP and Liberal Democrat MPs called for a more balanced approach, pointing to the need for fair decisions amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

With the Immigration White Paper due soon, Labour is under pressure to toughen its stance or lose more public confidence.