Asylum system ‘abuse’
THE immigration minister has claimed the UK’S asylum system is “riddled with abuse” and revealed that migrants will be asked to share hotel rooms as the Government comes under pressure to reduce net migrations.
Robert Jenrick said a lot of progress has been made on illegal migration in a short period of time, with “really unique landmark deals” with France seeing a “big increase” in the number of interceptions on the beaches, but he said the asylum system – which according to him has a backlog of more than 150,000 cases – must be changed “fundamentally”.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the Home Office estimates it will have to spend between £3 billion and £6 billion on detention facilities, accommodation costs and removals under the current plans to tackle small boat crossings.
Mr Jenrick told the BBC’S Sunday
With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “The asylum system is riddled with abuse, we have to be honest with ourselves.
“The way to tackle that is by changing fundamentally the way we handle asylum.”
Mr Jenrick said the Illegal Migration Bill to detain migrants who arrive through unauthorised means before returning them home or to a third country, such as Rwanda, will alleviate the pressure.
“That will create the deterrent we desperately need, it will break the business model of the people smuggle gangs and it will stop the system from coming under intolerable pressure like it is today,” he said.
Mr Jenrick said he does not think it is unreasonable to ask asylum seekers to share rooms after a group this week apparently refused to enter a hotel in Pimlico, central London, where the Home Office had asked them to sleep “four people per room”.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, the leader of Westminster City Council expressed his “deep concern” that around 40 refugees were placed in the borough on Wednesday night “without appropriate accommodation or support available” and no prior communication with the local authority.
Mr Jenrick told the BBC: “As I understand what happened here was that these migrants, who had themselves said that they were destitute, they had nowhere to stay, we had offered them a safe bed with board and lodgings in a good-quality hotel in central London.”
Mr Jenrick said people arriving in small boats “risk cannibalising the compassion” of the UK public.
He also told Sophy Ridge On Sunday on Sky News that young men putting “overwhelming pressure” on the asylum system are making it harder for the country to support people who “genuinely need our help”.
BORIS Johnson will not be restricted over what he can tell the Covid Inquiry despite being warned that he could lose public funding for legal advice if he tries to “frustrate or undermine” the Government’s position, a senior minister has said.
Robert Jenrick also insisted it would not be “sensible or reasonable” to hand over ministers’ documents or messages if they are deemed irrelevant to the pandemic as the Government takes the official investigation to court to try to limit disclosure.
Cabinet Office lawyers have written to Mr Johnson to warn that money would “cease to be available” if he breaks conditions such as releasing evidence without permission.
The former Prime Minister has been at the centre of a row as ministers launched a High Court bid to challenge the inquiry’s demand for his unredacted Whatsapp messages and notebooks.
He has vowed to send all his messages to the official investigation directly, circumventing the Cabinet Office. He has had legal advice paid for by the taxpayer, but the Sunday Times detailed the letter from Government lawyers containing the warning to Mr Johnson.
“The funding offer will cease to be available to you if you knowingly seek to frustrate or undermine, either through your own actions or the actions of others, the Government’s position in relation to the inquiry unless there is a clear and irreconcilable conflict of interest on a particular point at issue,” it said.
But Mr Jenrick insisted it is “entirely up to the former Prime Minister how he co-operates with the inquiry”.
The Home Office minister told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “If he wishes to send his documents or Whatsapp messages to them then he’s at liberty to do so. He can advance whatever arguments he wants to and make whatever statements he wishes in his witness statement to the inquiry.
He denied there are fears in No 10 that Rishi Sunak’s messages could reveal a plot to try to bring down Mr Johnson, saying: “No, as I say, the issue here is a simple legal one.”
While Mr Johnson is at the centre of the row at the moment, the Government is trying to avoid having to hand over what it sees as irrelevant messages from other ministers.
This could include evidence from the Prime Minister, who was Chancellor during the pandemic.