A view of the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge, which would have housed up to 500 asylum seekers, at Portland Port in Dorset, England, on July 21, 2023. The British government said July 23, 2024, it would scrap the controversial use of a barge to house migrants off the south coast of England as part of its immigration system overhaul.Andrew Matthews/The Associated Press
The British government announced new plans on Wednesday to reduce the number of asylum seekers who arrive in small boats, including an increase in deportation flights and a crackdown on employers who hire illegal workers.
Polls show that controlling immigration is now the most important issue for British voters for the first time in eight years, following far-right riots targeting Muslims and migrants that began after the murder of three girls in the town of Southport in northwest England.
During the riots people tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The Home Office, which is responsible for tackling illegal immigration, announced it would hire 100 investigations officers to target the gangs who bring asylum seekers to Britain. It aims to increase the number of people deported to levels last seen in 2018, reversing a decline in recent years.
Employers who hire illegal workers will face sanctions, including financial penalty notices, business closure orders and potential prosecution. Those caught working illegally and eligible for deportation will be detained before they are removed, the Home Office said.
“By increasing enforcement capabilities and returns, we will establish a system that is better controlled and managed, in place of the chaos that has blighted the system for far too long,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement.
Since the new Labour government was appointed on July 5, more than 5,700 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain in boats crossing the Channel from France, underlining the challenge facing ministers who have promised to smash the people-smuggling gangs.
In the first major policy announcement since winning a landslide election victory, the Labour government said it would scrap the previous Conservative government’s contested plan to fly thousands of asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last month Britain had to focus on enforcement and work with other countries to tackle the root causes of migration, including climate change and poverty.