Immigration: how is the government tackling Channel crossings? What PM Rishi Sunak said about migrant plans

Rishi Sunak has declared “enough is enough” as he promised to clear the UK’s backlog of asylum seekers by the end of 2023.

Speaking on Tuesday (13 December) in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister unveiled a five-point plan detailing how the government plans to curb the number of migrants crossing the Channel. He told MPs that “unless we act now, and decisively, this will only get worse.”

It comes as the government faces pressure to crack down on soaring migration, with figures showing that more than 44,000 people have crossed the Channel to the UK just this year. Home Office figures have also revealed that 143,377 asylum seekers are currently awaiting an initial decision on their application - and that nearly 100,000 of those have been waiting more than six months.

In addition to clearing th asylum backlog, the Prime Minister’s announcement also included details of an agreement that the UK has signed with Albania to speed up the removal of recent arrivals from the country. As part of this, a dedicated unit of 400 specialists will be set up specifically to handle claims from Albanians, and UK border officials wil be set up at Albania’s main airport.

Sunak also claimed once again that he would restart plans to deport people seeking asylum in the UK who claims were deemed ‘unfounded’ by the Home Office to Rwanda. This controversial policy is being challenged in the courts after the European Court of Human Rights intervened at the last minute to ground the flight.

The Richmond MP told the Commons: “I said enough is enough, and I mean it. And that means I am prepared to do what must be done. So early next year we will introduce new legislation to make unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally, you should not be able to remain here.

“Instead, you will be detained and swiftly returned, either to your home country, or to a safe country where your asylum claim will be considered. And you will no longer be able to frustrate removal attempts with late or spurious claims or appeals. And once removed, you should have no right to re-entry, settlement or citizenship.”

Plans to rewrite the UK’s modern slavery laws were also outlined, as some ministers have previously claimed the rules are being abused. However, former prime minister Theresa May warned in the past that changes to legislation might undermine protections for victims.

NationalWorld recently revealed that more than a quarter of modern slavery victims identified in the UK are Albanian, according to Home Office figures.

Other new steps to tackle migration included bringing an end to the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, and instead moving migrants to disused holiday parks, former student halls and surplus military sites. This will come in addition to working as “quickly as possible” to see “all local authorities take their fair share of asylum seekers” in private rented accommodation.

There will also be 700 new staff deployed to tackle immigration crimes, such as illegal working, and a “new, permanent, unified small boats operational command” which will bring together “military and civilian capability and the National Crime Agency”.

Sunak insisted this was the “fair way to address this global challenge”, warning that “tackling this problem will not be quick [or] easy”, but is “the right thing to do.” He also said he will ensure the only way to come to the UK for asylum will be “through safe and legal routes”. But Refugee Council says there is no legal way to travel to the UK for the specific purpose of seeking asylum - also arguing that the 1951 Refugee Convention recognises that those fleeing persecution may have to use irregular means.

Similarly, Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of charity Refugee Action, criticised the government for failing to commit to creating safe routes for people to come to the UK, which he said “could end most small boat crossings overnight”. He also slammed the changes as “cruel, ineffective and unlawful”, adding they will “do nothing to fix the real problems in the system.”

Sir Keir Starmer said he welcomed the announcement of additional staff, but added that it is “appalling [the government] let the backlog get this big” in the first place. He also said there had so far been a “total failure of any co-ordinated response” to criminal trafficking gangs, asking the Prime Minister if he can guarantee that new staff “will result in prosecutions for those who put lives and national security at risk?”

The Labour Party previously said it would “fast-track” the processing of asylum seekers from Albania and other ‘safe’ countries in a bid to tackle the backlog of claims. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Coopercalled for an immediate “fast-tracking” scheme so that any asylum claims deemed “unfounded” can be “rejected and returned in a matter of weeks.”