Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration

The Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration is a senior role in the British Home Office with responsibility for tackling illegal migration. The position has been vacant pending the formation of the Starmer ministry. It was previously held by Michael Tomlinson from December 2023 to July 2024. As a Minister of State attending meetings of the Cabinet, the holder of this office is seen as one of the most senior Ministers of State in the Government.

It was previously known as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, previously known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance and Courts and held in both the British Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. It was last held as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State by Simon Baynes MP who took the office on 8 July 2022 after a cabinet reshuffle.

Responsibilities
The minister previously had the following responsibilities:

For the Home Office:


 * access to work, benefits and services
 * detention
 * returns
 * foreign national offenders
 * illegal immigration strategy
 * overseas development aid
 * Immigration Enforcement
 * asylum
 * resettlement
 * casework
 * animals (illegal wildlife trade)
 * sponsorship of Border Force and immigration enforcement directorates
 * supporting Lords Minister on corporate affairs, including the Spending Review and Budget
 * COVID-19 impacts on business as usual function of asylum and returns systems, detention and Border Force

For the Ministry of Justice:


 * foreign national offenders and removing barriers to removal
 * immigration system legal reform
 * joint Spending Review bids (working with Kit Malthouse)
 * immigration crime sentencing reform
 * detained fast track
 * court and tribunal services and reform
 * court and tribunal fees
 * administrative justice
 * supporting the Secretary of State on departmental finance