‘Radical’ changes needed to deport more migrants, says immigration minister after Suella Braverman’s ‘invasion’ comment
THE government needs to impose RADICAL changes to Britain’s asylum system so more migrants can be deported, a minister admitted today.
Robert Jenrick said the Home Office needs to examine fresh options for sending back people who arrive on Britain’s shores illegally.
The Immigration Minister's comments follow reports of massive overcrowding at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent.
Conditions at the centre have been labelled by officials as "extremely concerning".
On Sunday 468 migrants arrived in small boats, after nearly 1,000 came on Saturday.
And there are predictions that the overall number of channel crossings could hit 60,000 by the year’s end.
The overwhelming numbers are putting huge amounts of pressure on the asylum system, which is struggling to keep up.
This morning Mr Jenrick told the BBC: “I'm afraid now need to look at some more radical options to ensure that our laws are appropriate, that economic migrants are returned swiftly, and that we deter people from coming to the UK.
“The UK cannot continue to be a magnet for economic migrants."
Yesterday, Suella Braverman described the scale of small boats arrivals as an “invasion”.
READ MORE POLITICS
In furious scenes in the Commons, the Home Secretary said: “The British people deserve to know which party is serious about stopping the invasion on our southern coast and which party is not.
“Let’s stop pretending they are all refugees in distress, the whole country knows that is not true.”
She added: “Illegal immigration is out of control.”
The term “invasion” caused a stir among Labour MPs and refugee charities, who described it as divisive and hateful.
But justifying the term this morning, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick told Sky News: "I think 'invasion' is a way of describing the sheer scale of the challenge and that’s what Suella Braverman was trying to express.
"She was also speaking I think for those people who live on the south coast."
Mr Jenrick also told LBC: “I think you have to choose your words extremely carefully”.
Labour and other critics claim Ms Braverman is to blame for overcrowding at Manston because she refused to move some of the migrants to hotel accommodation instead.
But she denied accusations she had “deliberately” blocked bookings at new hotels at an average £150 per room a night, and said she was the victim of a “political witch-hunt” ignoring the “facts of the problem”.
Most read in The Sun
At least one legal firm is eyeing up challenges for migrants at the centre, which is only meant to hold them for up to 48 hours.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Insiders predict the migrants would have at least a 70 per cent chance of winning a judicial review, with others saying Ms Braverman was warned directly that the Home Office faced an imminent challenge.
She admitted that the UK was struggling to cope with the sheer scale of arrivals, saying it was “impossible” to procure the needed beds at short notice.