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Emigration and immigration

Labour's Immigration Policy: A Tale of Broken Promises and U-Turns

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Labour promised to tackle the migrant crisis by smashing smuggling gangs and clearing the asylum backlog. However, 16 months on, the government's policies have been criticized as ineffective and lacking in urgency. The Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill has been slow to progress through Parliament, with the government relying on sticking-plaster solutions and recycled Tory ideas. The Rwanda policy, which the Tories had set in motion, has been touted as a possible solution to deterring small-boat migrants.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Labour government has failed to deliver on its promises to tackle the migrant crisis, with the asylum backlog remaining huge and failed asylum seekers not being swiftly returned to their countries of origin.
  • The Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill has been slow to progress through Parliament, with the government relying on sticking-plaster solutions and recycled Tory ideas.
  • The Rwanda policy, which was set in motion by the Tories, has been touted as a possible solution to deterring small-boat migrants.
  • The government has proposed moving asylum seekers from hotels to military barracks and modular buildings, but this is not seen as a long-term solution to stop people from jumping into dinghies and paying smugglers big profits.
  • The gangs will continue to rake in big profits and run rings around the Border Force and the French police.
  • The government has not provided a concrete timeline for its plans to end the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers.

Statistics:

  • Since the deal with France was signed on July 10, more than 15,000 people have arrived in the UK illegally in small boats.
  • At this rate of returns, it would take more than 15 years to send all the returned migrants back.
  • The government has committed an additional £100m to the scheme with France.
  • The number of failed asylum seekers returned to their countries under the bilateral agreements is reported to be 42 since the deal was signed.
  • France has sent 23 migrants back to the UK under the deal.

Sources:

  • Migration Watch UK
  • The Sun
  • The Times
  • Labour Party Manifesto

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