Newly appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce that asylum seekers will be moved out of hotels and into military barracks, as the Government signals a tougher
approach to immigration amid rising Channel crossings.
The move comes after months of protests outside hotels being used to house migrants, which ministers say are no longer sustainable. Under the new plan, Ministry of Defence sites are expected to become the main accommodation for people seeking asylum.
On Saturday, the scale of the challenge was made clear: around 1,000 people arrived in the UK in a single day by small boats, while French authorities reported rescuing 24 more who had got into difficulty.
Growing pressure and protests
Dozens of hotels currently used to house asylum seekers are now expected to close after becoming flashpoints for demonstrations in recent months.
At the same time, the Government is pushing for new international agreements to return migrants whose claims are rejected. A deal with Germany is said to be close, following a similar agreement with France.
One Government source told reporters that “nothing is off the table” as Mahmood takes on her new role overseeing borders and asylum. She has previously indicated she’s open to reforming UK human rights law in this area.
Political reshuffle
The decision comes in the wake of a major Cabinet reshuffle, which saw sweeping changes at the Home Office after the resignation of Angela Rayner.
Former home secretary Yvette Cooper has moved into the role of Foreign Secretary, while Sarah Jones, a former industry minister, has been appointed policing minister. Mahmood will also be supported by Mike Tapp, Labour’s Dover MP, and Alex Norris.
Meanwhile, Darren Jones, the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, rejected claims the Government is in crisis. Speaking to broadcasters, he said Sir Keir Starmer now has the “strongest team” around the Cabinet table and ruled out an early election.
Jones dismissed suggestions that Yvette Cooper was moved because she had failed to get a grip on immigration, instead insisting she would be “brilliant” as the UK’s top diplomat. Photo by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.