Labour guarantees to finish use of motels for asylum seekers and clear case backlog
Labour has promised to finish the usage of motels for asylum seekers if it will get into energy on the subsequent election.
Outlining its newest coverage pledges, the celebration mentioned it will additionally clear the rising backlog of asylum circumstances and pace up the return of those that fail to fulfill the brink.
As a results of its measures, Labour claimed long-standing services for housing asylum candidates – with area for 58,000 folks – could be ample, which means not solely would motels turns into redundant, however so would barges and army websites.
Shadow dwelling secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned: “Tory chaos at our borders and in the asylum system is costing taxpayers billions and must come to an end. All we have had from this government is gimmicks not grip.
“Labour has a critical plan to finish the federal government’s wasteful spending on motels and return individuals who don’t have any proper to be right here.”
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Figures from the Home Office on the finish of August confirmed greater than 51,000 asylum seekers have been being housed in motels, costing round £6m per day, whereas the complete invoice for the lodging within the final monetary yr was £2.28bn.
The backlog of asylum claims within the UK hit a record high in the identical month, with a complete of 175,457 folks ready for an preliminary choice on their software – up 44% from 2022 and the best determine since data started in 2010.
Of these, 139,961 had been ready greater than six months – a 57% improve from final yr and one other report excessive.
Labour plans to sort out these figures by hiring over 1,000 new caseworkers for the Home Office, with elevated pay to “improve productivity”, and recruiting 1,000 employees to man a brand new returns unit, with fast-track choices on purposes from secure nations processed “within weeks”.
It would additionally create so-called Nightingale courts – echoing the pop-up services introduced in post-COVID – to hurry up any authorized challenges to asylum choices and guarantee removals are processed.
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This newest announcement comes after the celebration obtained a blended response to its plan to strike a brand new returns settlement with the EU to sort out migration figures.
Labour confirmed it may settle for a quota of migrants to get a deal over the road because it sought “management and control of the system” after the Conservatives had “lost control of our borders”.
But Tory critics thrashed the announcement, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claiming it will see the UK settle for 100,000 migrants from the EU yearly – though he didn’t say how he had calculated the determine.
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Mr Sunak has made tackling unlawful migration – particularly relating to small boat crossings of the Channel – one in every of his 5 priorities in authorities, backing measures reminiscent of deporting some migrants to Rwanda and housing folks on barges.
But each schemes have hit limitations, with Rwanda flights caught up within the courts and an outbreak of Legionella disease on the Bibby Stockholm vessel.
But the prime minister has repeatedly defended the federal government’s progress, saying: “We’ve already reduced the legacy backlog by over 28,000 – nearly a third – since the start of December and we remain on track to meet our target.”