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.
| United Kingdom Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration | |
|---|---|
_(Tudor_Crown).svg) | |
Incumbent Vacant since 5 July 2024 | |
| Home Office | |
| Style | Illegal Migration Minister (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth) |
| Type | Minister of the Crown |
| Status | Minister of State |
| Member of |
|
| Reports to | |
| Seat | Westminster |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister) |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 10 September 2019 |
| Salary | £115,824 per annum (2022)[1] (including £86,584 MP salary)[2] |
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:[3]
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
List of officeholders
| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance and Courts | ||||||
| Chris Philp |  | 10 September 2019 | 16 September 2021 | Conservative | Johnson (I) | |
| Johnson (II) | ||||||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration | ||||||
| Tom Pursglove |  | 17 September 2021 | 7 July 2022 | Conservative | Johnson (II) | |
| Simon Baynes |  | 8 July 2022 | 8 September 2022 | Conservative | ||
| Role re-formed out of Minister of State for Immigration Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration | ||||||
| Michael Tomlinson | .jpg) | 7 December 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Sunak | |