Tory ‘small boats week’ descends into chaos as new statistics show government funding more hotel rooms than ever to house asylum seekers, despite Rishi Sunak pledge to end this practice

New statistics released today by Labour show a 25 per cent increase in hotel use to house asylum seekers since the Prime Minister made a pledge to end hotel use in December.

This comes alongside accusations that the government’s small boats week is ‘descending into chaos’, as key pillars of Rishi Sunak’s plan begin to completely unravel:

1. In December, Sunak promised to end the placement of asylum-seekers in hotels - then standing at around 40,000 people. But new statistics have confirmed that number has risen by over 10,000 in just six months - up to 50,000, a 25 per cent increase
   
   
2. In March, the government said their new bill - which requires the government to return all those who arrive in small boats to their country of origin or a safe third party - would apply “from today”. However, this morning, Home Office Minister Sarah Dines rowed back, acknowledging the bill is not currently being implemented at all - and is completely on hold until the Supreme Court rules on Rwanda, which is likely to take many months
   
   
3. With no workable plan, the government has resorted to reheating proposals that were floated - and abandoned - three years ago to send asylum seekers to the Ascension Island. Despite clear briefings to the media yesterday, the Home Office already seem to be retreating from this this morning. 

Labour has a clear five-point plan to fix the Tories’ small boats crisis, including a new police unit to crack down on the criminal smuggling gangs, clearing the asylum backlog to end hotel use and a new deal with European countries on returns and controlled routes.

Commenting on the chaos, Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said:

“Rishi Sunak is failing to fix the Tories boats chaos and the Conservatives are just flailing around chasing headlines rather than getting a grip.

“The Prime Minister admitted last December that hotel use was a serious problem and promised to end it, but instead since then it has gone up by a truly shocking 25 per cent with more asylum hotels still opening, and the taxpayer having to pay billions more pounds as a result. This is the direct consequence of Tory mismanagement and their disastrous failure to speed up asylum decisions or clear the backlog which is still at a record high.

“Under the Tories, the chaos in the asylum system is getting worse and worse and costs are spiralling out of control. Labour has a plan to get a grip of the asylum system, including clearing the backlog and fast track decisions and returns for safe countries, to end the expensive use of hotels to house asylum seekers.”

Ends

Notes:

• New statistics confirming a rise in hotel use (up to 50,000) -https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1176565/statistics-relating-to-the-illegal-migration-act-data-tables-to-july-2023.ods
  
  
• Sarah Dines on BBC Radio 4 Today (2:15:00): “it’s quite commonplace to have laws passed and for them to be operationalised over…months” 
  
  
• The government is already distancing itself from ministerial comments this morning suggesting a resumption of the plan to send asylum-seekers to Ascension Island -https://twitter.com/mrharrycole/status/1688481117207146496?s=46&t=yWqqLJCi8uLb29IcQB31yw

Labour’s five-point plan to reform the asylum system:

1. Crackdown on criminal smuggler gangs, through new Cross-Border Police Unit

A Labour Government would redirect spending from the unworkable Rwanda scheme, which the government has admitted is subject to a very high risk of fraud, to set up a new cross-border police unit to crack down on smuggling gangs. This would include millions of pounds of new investment in the NCA. Officers would be based in the UK and throughout Europe to tackle the gangs upstream. This would be supported with an urgent review to identify the gaps in enforcement against smuggling gangs, with the findings used to lay out an Action Plan to be delivered by the NCA and Border Force, in collaboration with international allies and Europol.

1. Clear the backlog and end hotel use
   
   The Home Office is taking 9,000 fewer asylum decisions a year than they were in 2015, leaving people waiting in limbo for much longer and pushing up accommodation costs. Fast tracking cases for Albania and other safe countries, introducing triage and restoring proper casework standards and targets will mean quicker support for those who are refugees, much quicker returns for those who are not, and stopping costly hotel use.

1. Reform resettlement routes to stop people being exploited by gangs
   
   Labour would redesign the existing resettlement schemes which are not currently working properly so that they include a clearer process for refugees with family connections in the UK to be considered for resettlement, preventing them being exploited by criminal gangs or making dangerous journeys.

1. New agreement with France and other countries on returns and family reunion
   
   Labour would negotiate a new agreement which includes safe returns and safe family reunions.

1. Tackle humanitarian crises at source helping refugees in their region
   
   Labour would work in partnership internationally to address some of the humanitarian crises that are leading people to flee their homes including restoring the 0.7% aid commitment when the fiscal situation allows and strengthening support for the people of Afghanistan, currently the largest group trying to cross the Channel.