The importance of Border Security

People in Dover tell me time and again about their overriding concern for the safety and security of our borders and the security of our nation. So it is of immense comfort to us all to know that Damian Green MP, possibly about to go on a political show trial, stands with us in wanting to keep our country safe.

Living in the Gateway to England, Dover people know first hand how the Government has totally failed to keep our borders secure. We know all about the disgusting human trafficking that goes on, the bogus asylum seekers and the evil crime syndicates that smuggle people in who have no right to be here. My mailbag is filled with disgust and concern about the situation. We know all too well that the Government does nothing about it and has lost control of our borders.

Many are concerned about the Government's Stalinesque behaviour and the attempt at a coverup. Yet let's not forget what Damian is really in the dock for. Let's not forget his work fighting tirelessly to hold the Government to account for its disgraceful failure to keep our nation and its borders safe. And let's remember why it matters so much to us all:

• 577,000 people came to Britain in 2007 - and net migration was 237,000
• The population has risen 1.8 million since 1997 thanks to immigration alone
• There were 25,800 asylum applications in the 12 months to September 2008, a rise of 15% on the year before
• To cope with all this, some 65,000 new homes are needed each year, meaning even more concrete and congestion along with increasing pressure on our public services

And while they fail to stop people coming to Britain that have no right to be here, we know that locally they arrest illegal entrants who try to leave the country. At the Dover Removal Centre, they give bail to people who are being held . . . people who then, surprise, surprise, vanish and are never seen again. Meanwhile France has stopped us using anti people smuggling scanners at Calais . . . without a squeak of protest from the Government.

This is why Damian's work has been so important. It's time for a renewed focus on border security, the safety and security of our nation and all the terrible figures the Government is so desperate to hide.