MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, commenting on 755 people crossing the Channel
in small boats yesterday – taking the total to more than 100,000
since 2018, said:
"Small boat crossings have increased more than twentyfold over
the last four years on the Conservatives’ watch, with more than
100,000 people now having made the dangerous journey across the
Channel.
“The criminal gangs who profit from undermining our border
security and putting lives at risk have continued to run rings
around this Government, with their profits soaring from £1
million a few years ago to over £200 million today, while
convictions have collapsed.
“After years of empty pledges and broken promises, the Tories’
asylum chaos is just getting worse and worse. They cannot be
trusted to get a grip. Only Labour has a serious plan to crack
down on criminal smuggler gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings,
clear the asylum backlog and end hotel use by speeding up
decisions and fast-tracking cases from safe countries.”
Ends
Notes:
Labour’s five-point plan to reform the asylum
system:
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
