Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has conceded that he may not fulfil his commitment to stop the crossing of small boats in the English Channel ahead of the next general election.
Mr. Sunak made the small boat crisis a top government priority back in January.
Since Mr. Sunak entered Number 10, following Liz Truss’s resignation last October, over 25,000 asylum seekers have arrived illegally on British shores, via small boats.
A total of 45,755 individuals made the journey throughout 2022, according to Home Office data.
When asked how the crisis could be solved, Mr. Sunak told the media, “I want it to be done as soon as possible, but I also want to be honest with people that it is a complex problem.
‘Unsustainable’ and ‘Unfair’
“The current system is both unsustainable and is completely unfair, but particularly unfair on British taxpayers who are forking out millions of pounds to house illegal migrants in hotels and local communities … ”Regarding the possibility of solving the crisis before the anticipated upcoming general election, he said; “There is not one simple solution and it can’t be solved overnight and I wouldn’t be being straight with people if I said that was possible.”
Plans to tackle the crisis have faced several hurdles since Mr. Sunak assumed office.
One of these is a legal challenge against the government over the proposed removal of illegal migrants to Rwanda. This case is due to be heard in October at the Supreme Court in October.
Even if the proposal is ruled lawful, the government has received warning that Rwanda may be unable to handle the number of asylum claims. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), released today, also claimed that “Even if the arrangement to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda is found to be lawful, it is expected that only relatively small numbers will be removed in practice.”
The Illegal Migration Act bars migrants from making any claim when arriving illegally, meaning processing claims or moving migrants to a third country is made difficult. The IPPR estimated that the backlog for processing could reach 200,000 people in the next five years following the upcoming election, and may cost the taxpayer around £5.64 billion in costs for accommodation.
This eventuality could result in many migrants remaining in Britain, as projected arrivals will still outnumber the migrants removed.
100,000 Migrants Arrived
Since records began, the total number of illegal migrants detected arriving in Britain has reached 100,000. The month of July also proved the second worst month for Channel crossings since the prime minister pledged to “Stop the Boats.”Mr. Sunak said: “I am not complacent. I never said this would be easy. I never said it could be fixed overnight. We are going to attack it from every angle and not stop until we are done … We have got to stop the boats, that is why it is one of my five priorities. The current system is unsustainable and it is unfair. The best way to reduce pressure on local communities is to stop the number of people coming here in the first place.”
NHS Crisis Mounts
This news comes as the NHS waiting lists hit yet another new record, at 7.6 million people. Slashing NHS waiting times was another of Mr. Sunak’s original pledges, and he is now facing unwelcome scrutiny on two fronts.With the upcoming winter expected to create greater stress on the NHS, and one in every eight people in the country waiting for an appointment, the prime minister will have a battle on his hands to prove the feasibility of government targets.
