Illegal Channel Migrants Should Be Sent to South Atlantic Island: UK Think Tank

Illegal immigrants react onboard UK Border Force vessel HMC Speedwell after being picked up at sea, as they are brought into the Marina in Dover, southeast England, on Dec. 21, 2021. Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images

Illegal immigrants who attempt to enter the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats should be deported to an offshore processing centre within 48 hours, a British Conservative think tank has proposed.

In its latest report (pdf) published on Feb. 16, the London-based Policy Exchange think tank said the “most obviously suitable” location for such processing centres is Ascension Island, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean that is 4,000 miles away from the UK.