Yvette Cooper responds to today's damning immigration and asylum statistics
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Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, responding to
damning immigration and asylum statistics showing almost 46,000
asylum seekers are still in hotels, said: "These damning statistics
show how Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have lost control of our
immigration system and our border security - and have no plan to
turn it around. “A year after promising to end their use, almost
46,000 people are still stuck in hotels. The Tories’ failure to
clear the...Request free trial
Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, responding to damning immigration and asylum statistics showing almost 46,000 asylum seekers are still in hotels, said: "These damning statistics show how Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have lost control of our immigration system and our border security - and have no plan to turn it around. “A year after promising to end their use, almost 46,000 people are still stuck in hotels. The Tories’ failure to clear the backlog and return small boats arrivals has blown a £4 billion hole in the Home Office budget, paid at taxpayers' expense. Meanwhile, work visas are soaring due to their failure to train people here in the UK. “Labour has a plan to restore order to the border, fix our broken asylum system and increase returns, and improve skills and conditions here at home. Only Labour can deliver the change we need." Ends Notes:
Labour’s five-point plan to reform the asylum system:
A Labour Government would crackdown on criminal smuggler gangs by introducing stronger powers for the UK’s National Crime Agency to restrict the movement of those suspected of being involved in people smuggling and setting up a new cross-border police unit with officers based in the UK and across Europe to tackle gangs upstream. That would include officers being posted directly to Europol to collaborate on joint investigations and to identify and seize boats upstream. Labour will also seek to negotiate a new security agreement with Europe, including a replacement to SIS-II, to allow for the real-time sharing of intelligence on people smuggling suspects. To fund this, Labour would redirect spending from the unworkable Rwanda scheme, which the government has admitted is subject to a very high risk of fraud.
Labour will save the taxpayer billions by ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers within 12 months and setting up a new returns unit for safe countries. Labour will recruit over 1,000 Home Office caseworkers to clear the record Tory asylum backlog, and a further 1,000 staff for a new returns unit so that those who do not have a right to stay here can be quickly removed, and we end the use of costly hotels at the taxpayers’ expense. Labour will fast track decisions on applications from safe countries, like India and Albania, which are unlikely to be granted; and establish a new returns unit to reverse the 44% collapse in asylum removals that the Tory Government has overseen since 2010.
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.
Labour would negotiate a new agreement which includes safe returns and safe family reunions for child refugees.
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. |