MINISTERS were blasted yesterday after revealing 54,000 small boat migrants could be fast-tracked to stay in Britain.
Rules will be relaxed on unlawful arrivals from June last year to this March to cut the £7million-a-day taxpayer bill to keep them in hotels.
Ministers revealed 54,000 small boat migrants could be fast-tracked to stay in Britain
It comes as ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel led attempts to crack down on small boats
If their asylum claims are successful, they will be allowed to stay for five years rather than the usual initial 30 months, and can then apply to remain for good.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick slipped out the news in a written statement.
A number of Tory MPs were up in arms last night.
One said: “The consequences of this will be phenomenal. We don’t know the security status of any of these people.
“So much for being tough — this looks like a de facto amnesty.”
Labour claimed the Tories had “no idea what they are doing to fix the small boats crisis”.
The Home Office, whose ex-Home Secretary, Priti Patel, led attempts to crack down on small boats, said illegal arrivals can be “detained and swiftly removed” under the Illegal Migration Bill.
