- The UK government plans to increase return flights for failed asylum seekers and expand detention capacity by reopening immigration removal centres in Hampshire and Oxfordshire, adding 290 beds.
- Labour aims to achieve the highest rate of enforced removals since 2018, despite criticism that the target is not ambitious enough and concerns about the effectiveness of expanded detention versus voluntary return programs.
- The government will deploy 100 new intelligence officers to the National Crime Agency to combat people-smuggling gangs, with a focus on preventing dangerous Channel crossings.
The UK government has pledged a significant increase in return flights for failed asylum seekers and individuals with no legal right to remain in the country. This initiative is part of broader plans to enhance immigration enforcement, including the recruitment of 100 additional intelligence officers to combat people-smuggling operations and the reopening of immigration removal centres in Hampshire and Oxfordshire, providing an extra 290 detention beds.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the need for a “better-controlled” immigration system, aiming to replace the “chaos” that has long plagued the process. The Labour government’s approach has drawn criticism from the Conservative Party, with Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly accusing Labour of being “not serious” about stopping people smugglers or illegal crossings. While Cleverly welcomed the increased resources for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and expanded detention capacity, he argued that the government’s measures lacked ambition and failed to address key issues, such as the cancellation of the Rwanda deportation scheme and delays in appointing a leader for the UK Border Security Command.
Since Labour’s election victory, nine return flights have already taken off, including one carrying more than 200 people. The government aims to achieve the highest rate of removals since 2018, which would require an additional 3,000 removals this year. Dr. Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the Migration Observatory, noted that this target is “achievable” but called it a “low bar,” pointing out that 2018 saw the lowest number of enforced removals in two decades, aside from the pandemic years.
Critics, including Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council charity, have urged the government to focus on voluntary return programs rather than expanding detention facilities. Solomon argued that treating failed asylum seekers with “respect and humanity” would lead to more voluntary departures, which he claimed already account for two-thirds of exits.
The government’s plans come as more than 19,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, a 10% increase from last year but lower than the peak of over 21,000 during the same period in 2022. The previous Conservative administration had attempted to deter crossings through a controversial Rwanda deportation scheme, which was scrapped by the new Labour government, who labeled it a “gimmick.”
Instead, Labour has committed to disrupting criminal smuggling gangs and speeding up the return of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK. To support this, 100 new specialist intelligence officers will be deployed to the NCA, which currently has around 70 active investigations into smuggling and trafficking networks. The government also plans to increase sanctions against employers who hire illegal workers.
In addition to these measures, the reopening of the Campsfield and Haslar detention centres, both of which had been closed, is set to increase the UK’s detention capacity. Haslar, located near Portsmouth, was previously closed in 2015 following concerns about its cost and the negative impact on detainees.
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