Pass new laws to stop small boats
“Fifth, we will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.”
Not met
Where it stands
The Illegal Migration Act 2023 became law on 20 July 2023, but its central duty to make arrangements to remove people who arrive illegally (section 2) was never brought into force. On 22 July 2024 the new Home Secretary told the Commons that the central duty "has not even been enacted". The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 repealed that duty on 2 December 2025. The laws passed, but the detention and swift removal they promised never applied, so the card reads Not met. The Rwanda flights are a separate card (uk-rwanda-first-flight-2024).
What has happened
- Jan 2023The Prime Minister makes new laws to stop small boats the fifth of five promises, Promised
- Jul 2023The Illegal Migration Act 2023 becomes law, with a duty to make arrangements to remove people who arrive illegally, Legislated evidence
- Dec 2025The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 repeals the removal duty, which had never been brought into force, Not met evidence
About the cost
No figure in the speech, and no costing of the pledge was published with it.
More detail
Sources (5)
- Prime Minister's Office: PM speech on building a better future, 4 January 2023
- Illegal Migration Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Illegal Migration Act 2023, section 2: duty to make arrangements for removal
- Hansard, House of Commons, 22 Jul 2024: Border Security and Asylum (Home Secretary's statement)
- Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, section 41: repeal of the 2023 Act's provisions
How cards are checked
Status follows the promise standard, the same for every party. A status changes only on evidence. Anyone named on a card can reply, and replies are published next to it. AI Journalist is our automated reviewer: it re-reads every card against its live sources (the quote word for word, dates, evidence, status, cost, neutral wording, legal risk). An editor, Pavel Guzhikov, then checks each card against its sources and approves it.
Related promises
- Sanctions for skipping sentencingHM GovernmentPromised
- Tougher penalties for undersea sabotageHM GovernmentPromised
- Wildfire teams and kit for firefightersHM GovernmentPromised