Rishi Sunak's vow to halt illegal migration across the English Channel was dealt a blow yesterday as a new daily record for arrivals was set. A staggering 872 migrants arrived in the UK on Saturday, surpassing the previous high of 756 on August 10. This marks the highest daily total since the Prime Minister made his promise in January. So far this year, a total of 20,973 people have made the dangerous journey across the Channel.
Pressure mounts for radical solutions
Following this unprecedented influx of migrants, many Conservative MPs are calling for radical solutions to tackle the issue. One proposal that has been put forward is the deportation of migrants to Rwanda. However, the plan has been put on hold pending a Supreme Court battle scheduled for the autumn. Winning the case would enable the government to proceed with the deportation flights before the next election. Some MPs are even suggesting that Rishi Sunak should be willing to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights if necessary to ensure the success of these flights.
Tory MP Jonathan Gullis expressed his views on the matter, stating, "Get flights to Rwanda, do more deals with other safe third countries, and be willing to withdraw from the ECHR." The government believes that these measures, combined with the ban on illegal migrants settling in the UK, will act as a deterrent. They argue that there have been fewer crossings this year compared to the same time last year, when there were already 25,000.
Concerns about asylum backlog
While the government maintains that progress is being made in addressing the asylum backlog, there are growing concerns about the efficiency of the system. The Home Office is reportedly slashing asylum interviews from an average of seven hours to as little as 45 minutes in an effort to clear the backlog. However, critics argue that this may compromise the quality and thoroughness of the decision-making process.
Labour's shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, criticized Rishi Sunak for breaking his promise on handling small boat arrivals. She said, "Rishi Sunak has badly broken his small boats promise." It remains to be seen how the government will respond to these mounting challenges and whether they can successfully address the issue of illegal migration across the Channel.
