Home Office tried to silence Robert Jenrick after small boat terror claims
In an article for The Telegraph last year, Mr Jenrick, the former immigration minister, claimed that individuals linked to Islamic State had 'waltzed right in' to Britain across the Channel.
It can now be revealed that a fortnight later, the Home Office's most senior civil servant reprimanded him over the disclosure.
Sir Matthew Rycroft, the department's then permanent secretary, wrote to Mr Jenrick to tell him the information 'should not have been made public' and warned him against 'any further disclosure' of sensitive information from his time in government.
On Saturday, critics said the move showed that the Government was trying to 'suppress' concerns about the security implications of mass migration.
During his spell as immigration minister between October 2022 and December 2023, Mr Jenrick would have had access to sensitive information and security briefings, including about migrants crossing the Channel.
The Home Office has neither confirmed nor denied the veracity of Mr Jenrick's claims and is understood to have had concerns that they could undermine national security.
In his letter, Sir Matthew argued that the former immigration minister was bound by rules that prohibit the disclosure of sensitive information, including the ministerial code and the Official Secrets Act.
Sir Matthew is also understood to have confirmed that Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, was personally aware that he was issuing the reprimand.
The revelation comes amid wider concerns about the Government's attitude towards free speech, especially on contentious topics such as migration.
This week it emerged that a secretive Whitehall 'spy' unit has been used to target social media posts criticising migrant hotels and 'two-tier policing'.
That prompted the White House to say it was monitoring the situation surrounding freedom of expression in the UK 'closely and with great concern'.
Allies of Mr Jenrick expressed concern that the Home Office was trying to deter him from speaking out on security concerns around migration.
Bradley Thomas, the Tory MP for Bromsgrove, said: 'Any attempt by the Home Office to suppress news of such significant national security importance is a disgrace.
'Robert Jenrick resigned from the Home Office on a point of principle and he has been clear that mass migration has not been good for our country.
'Robert's principled stance has seen him consistently challenge the failings of the immigration system to keep our country secure and prosperous.'
He said that Ms Cooper's 'implicit awareness' that the reprimand was being issued was 'a dereliction of her duty to the British people'.
Lewis Cocking, the Tory MP for Broxbourne, said that the warning to Mr Jenrick represented 'political overreach from the Civil Service'.
'They shouldn't be telling an elected Member of Parliament what they should or shouldn't be saying about illegal immigration,' he said.
'It's just another example of why we need a total overhaul of the Civil Service, to get them back working in the interests of ordinary British people.
'Labour Ministers have failed to give me clear answers on how many small boat arrivals fail criminality checks, and this suggests they are working with civil servants to keep the reality of the situation hidden from the public.'
Ministerial code
Former ministers continue to be bound by the ministerial code, which sets out the standards for their conduct, after they have left office. Mr Jenrick is also on the Privy Council, which advises the sovereign on matters of state, and whose members are subject to extra confidentiality obligations.
It is understood that it is not unusual for officials to remind both current and former ministers of their responsibilities under those rules.
Mr Jenrick declined to comment.
The news comes as Labour is under growing pressure over its handling of the small boats crisis, with the number of crossings this year having already topped 25,000.
Officials were forced to send migrants to a controversial overflow hotel in Canary Wharf on Saturday after almost 900 arrived on Wednesday.
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