Labour Proposes Allowing Small-Boat Immigrants to Claim Asylum
Labour strongly criticized the government’s Rwanda bill and the backlog of asylum claims, promising to drop the bill and process the pending claims.
If Labour wins the next general election, thousands of illegal immigrants would be allowed to apply to stay in the UK, as indicated by a spokesperson. According to the party, illegal immigrants who arrived since last March would be eligible to seek asylum under Labour’s leadership.
The Illegal Migration Bill, enacted by the Conservative government, currently prevents illegal immigrants from making asylum claims upon arrival in the UK. This has led to around 52,000 individuals being stuck in an asylum “limbo,” unable to apply for asylum and not being deported due to issues with the Rwanda immigration scheme.
A Labour spokesman stated that these individuals should be permitted to submit claims and stay permanently in the UK. The priority would be to expedite claim processing, establish return agreements, and address the existing backlog.
The expected number of illegal arrivals in the UK by the end of 2024 is 115,000, making illegal immigration and small boat crossings significant policy issues for both the Conservatives and Labour, influencing critical votes in the upcoming general election.
While the Tories, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have enacted the Rwanda bill to deport illegal immigrants, Labour has pledged to abolish it if they come into power. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer emphasized the need to enhance border control, law enforcement cooperation, and intelligence sharing to combat illegal immigration effectively.
As part of its asylum system reform plan, Labour aims to hire over 1,000 Home Office caseworkers to address the asylum backlog and establish a new returns unit with an additional 1,000 staff to facilitate swift removal of individuals without a legal right to stay in the UK.
Labour also intends to save taxpayer money by ending the use of hotels for illegal immigrants within a year and setting up a new returns unit for safe countries. The party’s ambition to streamline the asylum system is in contrast to the Conservative Party’s approach, which emphasizes the effectiveness of the Rwanda scheme in curbing illegal immigration.
Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock criticized the Conservatives for the lack of control over the asylum system following reports that over 3,000 illegal immigrants slated for deportation to Rwanda have vanished from the Home Office’s monitoring. Home Secretary James Cleverly defended the Rwanda scheme as the best course of action, while criticizing Labour’s proposed amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden accused Labour of promoting policies that attract migrants to the UK, contrasting it with the Conservative government’s efforts to contain illegal immigration. He warned that Labour’s approach would empower human smugglers and result in more deaths and suffering in the English Channel.
