London, Mar 29 (PTI) The UK government on Wednesday unveiled new plans to house illegal migrants in disused military sites, with the first tranche of such locations tabled in the House of Commons as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposed “Stop the Boats” crackdown against dangerous crossings facilitated by people smugglers.
UK Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told MPs of plans to house migrants at former Royal Air Force (RAF) sites in Essex, Lincolnshire and East Sussex in England.
The move is intended to tackle the “eye-watering 2.3 billion pounds a year bill” for hotels used to house asylum seekers who land on UK shores.
“I have said before that we have to suffuse our entire system with deterrence, and this must include how we house illegal migrants. So today the government are announcing the first tranche of sites we will set up to provide basic accommodation at scale,” Jenrick said in a Commons statement.
“The government will use military sites being disposed of in Essex and Lincolnshire and a separate site in East Sussex,” Jenrick said in a Commons statement.
“These will be scaled up over the coming months and will collectively provide accommodation to several thousand asylum seekers through repurposed barrack blocks and portakabins,” he said.
The minister also revealed that barracks at Catterick Garrison, which is located in Sunak’s constituency of Richmond (Yorks) in north England, are being assessed for suitability as a potential accommodation site.
“The Prime Minister set out a comprehensive plan to tackle illegal migration. We said we would act, and we have,” noted Jenrick.
The minister said that the sheer number of small boat arrivals has overwhelmed the country’s asylum system and forced the government to place asylum seekers in hotels, which take valuable assets away from communities and place pressures on local public services.
“Seaside towns have lost tourist trade, weddings have been cancelled and local councils have had their resources diverted to manage them,” Jenrick said.
“The hard-working British taxpayer has been left to foot the eye-watering 2.3 billion pound a year bill. We must not elevate the wellbeing of illegal migrants above that of the British people; it is in their interests that we are sent here,” he said.
“Accommodation for migrants should meet their essential living needs and nothing more because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects,” he said.
He pointed to the government’s Illegal Migration Bill, which is currently being debated in Parliament, as an “enduring solution” to stop the boats and said the new funding will be made available for local authorities to help deal with the cost of the new accommodation sites.
The UK Home Office is also said to be continuing to explore plans to use ferries and ships as a form of accommodation while asylum claims are being processed.
The new housing plans are aimed at reducing the over 6 million pounds a day the British government says it spends on hotel accommodation while also acting as a deterrent to prevent English Channel crossings from neighbouring European countries.
The new plans are likely to meet local opposition and criticism from local MPs whose constituencies are impacted by the new accommodation facilities. The Opposition parties and some charities have also voiced concerns. PTI AK NSA NSA NSA
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