Operation Isotrope: the use of the military to counter migrant crossings
Defence Committee
Closed
Inquiry
The session will consider the role of the Armed Forces in countering Channel crossings by migrants (Op Isotrope), and the wider implications for Defence, including what assets will be used, who will pay for them, how success will be measured and what the chain of command and reporting arrangements will …
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3
Recommendations
10
Conclusions
1
Report
2
Oral sessions
2
Events
Activity timeline 6 events
12 Jul
2022
2022
Oral evidence
12 Jul
2022
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
19 May
2022
2022
11 Mar
2022
2022
26 Jan
2022
2022
Oral evidence
26 Jan
2022
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
12 Jul 2022
View on parliament.uk
Paul Wyatt · Ministry of Defence
Rt Hon James Heappey MP · Ministry of Defence
26 Jan 2022
View on parliament.uk
Commander (rtd) Tom Sharpe OBE
Vice Admiral (rtd) Sir Charles Montgomery KBE
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope: the use of the military to c… | HC 1069 | 11 Mar 2022 | 13 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
1
Conclusion
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
The announcement of this policy appears to have been made prematurely.
The announcement of this policy appears to have been made prematurely. When the Government has been asked for details, it has consistently responded that these were being worked out. Announcing a policy before finalising the details is bad practice, particularly …
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Government Response
The government states that the Prime Minister announced major reforms to UK immigration policy, including the Economic and Migration Development Partnership with Rwanda and confirmed military primacy for small boats migration in the English Channel. It says it had already confirmed the initial policy intent prior to the Prime Minister's announcement.
Ministry of Defence
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3
Conclusion
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
A successful military strategy requires clear ends, ways and means.
A successful military strategy requires clear ends, ways and means. The ends (or in this case the objectives) are anything but. The MOD appears to regard its objective as ensuring that no migrant lands on their own terms, but the …
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Government Response
The Government believes the Committee’s conclusion is premature, stating that the Nationalities and Borders Act and the policy of third country processing will change the dynamic in the Channel.
Ministry of Defence
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6
Recommendation
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
We believe that the Government ought to reconsider its refusal to publish the details of...
We believe that the Government ought to reconsider its refusal to publish the details of strategic and operational responsibility. This confusion around where responsibility for the policy lies is compounded by the fact that, as noted above, the solution to …
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Government Response
The government states that the overall division of responsibility is clear: the Home Secretary retains overall accountability, while the Defence Secretary is responsible for the operational response, including identifying, intercepting and managing small boat migrants.
Ministry of Defence
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9
Conclusion
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
The Defence budget (despite its recent uplift and multi-year commitment) is already inadequate.
The Defence budget (despite its recent uplift and multi-year commitment) is already inadequate. Adding responsibility for immigration without a further uplift in the budget takes scarce resources from an already overstretched Department. We do not understand why this operation is …
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Government Response
The Treasury, Home Office and MoD agreed a £50 million package to enable the delivery of military primacy until early 2023, at which point the requirement and resourcing will be reviewed.
Ministry of Defence
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12
Conclusion
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
Furthermore, this operation distracts from other Defence tasks, which is a particular concern given the...
Furthermore, this operation distracts from other Defence tasks, which is a particular concern given the shortfalls we identified in our recent Report ‘We’re going to need a bigger Navy’. The operation will likely have long-term impacts on training, personnel leave …
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Government Response
The government states that Defence primacy for tackling small boats migration is part of the Government’s significant overhaul of the immigration system. An additional financial package of £50 million has been agreed with the Treasury and Home Office to ensure the capability uplifts and enhancements required can be delivered.
Ministry of Defence
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13
Conclusion
Accepted
Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope…
In short, the Government has not attempted to persuade us that Operation Isotrope is anything...
In short, the Government has not attempted to persuade us that Operation Isotrope is anything but an ill-defined policy, prematurely announced. The best case scenario for the Royal Navy is that it will leave with its reputation unharmed: there is …
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Government Response
The government states that Defence primacy for tackling small boats migration is part of the Government’s significant overhaul of the immigration system. An additional financial package of £50 million has been agreed with the Treasury and Home Office to ensure the capability uplifts and enhancements required can be delivered.
Ministry of Defence
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