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This week the Home Office published its annual accounts. We learned that the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels had risen to an astonishing £8 million per day. Given the 20% reduction in Channel crossings so far and efforts to move asylum seekers out of hotels this eye-watering figure really is shocking.
After all, in June the government announced thousands of asylum seekers would be moved to a range of sites including vessels, barges and dis-used airfields. Just how well is that going?
The Bibby Stockholm remains unused (how much did it cost to modify?), having now been in Portland for two months. The former RAF base at Scampton had been expected to begin hosting migrants in August, that has now been delayed until October at the earliest amid major local opposition to the plan. Meanwhile, numerous other attempts to move asylum seekers out of hotels are being opposed at every turn, whether it be former student halls as in Buxton or a former prison as in Bexhill. What a costly mess!
The most important point here is that regardless of location, communities have no desire to see large groups of predominantly young, male asylum seekers parachuted into, or near, long-established communities. Where is the democratic consent to do this?
The greatest worry is that, as our Executive Director (Dr) Mike Jones recently pointed out in an interview, the Rwanda Plan is the ‘only game in town’. While it will of course help, it is highly unlikely to be the silver bullet that solves the Channel crisis. The potential numbers (just look at how many are streaming into the EU illegally, and not only through Lampedusa) are simply too huge to stop would-be migrants jumping into dinghies on the northern shores of France, however many are placed on flights to Rwanda.
And yet, the government have no clear contingency plan in the event of the plan being either struck down or not having the desired effect. Similarly, as we pointed out last week, the Labour Party’s plans are even less convincing. Indeed, what was outlined by Sir Keir Starmer a week ago, would very likely lead to our taking in more asylum seekers than we do now; and still the boats would come.
Perhaps the Rwanda plan will prove as effective as the government hopes. But when? Will the Supreme Court give the green light to flights? What if it doesn’t? Or, what if, despite the green light coming on, the plan ends up having little impact? Is there a plan B? We doubt it.
This is a preview of Migration Watch’s free weekly newsletter. You can read the full version here.
Please consider signing up to the newsletter directly, you can do so here and will receive an email copy of the newsletter every Friday as soon as it is released.