Opening more asylum hotels will act as a “massive incentive” for small boat crossings, a Conservative MP has said.
Last week Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said that asylum hotel use had risen since Labour entered government, with seven new hotels being brought into use since the general election in July.
In the Commons on Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reminded her shadow counterpart Chris Philp of his plan to stop the boats with “giant wave machines” as he accused her of opening more asylum hotels “instead of closing them”.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour ‘inherited record high levels of small boat crossings in the first half of this year’ (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
During Home Office questions, Tory MP Julia Lopez said: “In recent weeks Channel crossings have been far higher than the Home Office expected, and that is why we have seen ministers rapidly approving new asylum hotels.
“We’re told this situation is temporary, because asylum claims are apparently now being processed faster, moving people through accommodation faster too.
“What reassurances can the minister give my constituents that the faster processing of asylum claims, with no deterrent in the system, will not simply act as a massive incentive for more people to come here on small boats?”
Ms Cooper replied: “Unfortunately, before the last election the previous government cut asylum decision making by 75% in the run-up to the election, took away case workers, and that is why the backlog was soaring.
“We have now put case workers back into place so that we can start clearing the backlog, because asylum hotels are costing the taxpayer huge amounts a month.”
Earlier Mr Philp belatedly congratulated Ms Cooper on her appointment as Home Secretary, saying he knows “how difficult” her job is from his time spent as a Home Office minister in the last government.
He said: “Since the election, 19,988 people have dangerously and illegally crossed the Channel, a 23% increase on the same period last year. Why does she think the numbers have gone up so much on her watch?”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the Government is ‘opening up new hotels instead of closing them down’ (Aaron Chown/PA)
Ms Cooper replied: “I think (Mr Philp) described his time in the Home Office as his best ministerial job ever, which, given that he was the chief secretary under Liz Truss, you can perhaps wonder why.
“He was also the immigration minister who, I might remind him, told the Commons and the select committee that he would not rule out using giant wave machines as the way to stop small boat crossings.
“We inherited record high levels of small boat crossings in the first half of this year, we have taken action to fix their chaos.”
Mr Philp referenced the previous government’s Rwanda deportation scheme, saying Ms Cooper had “cancelled the Rwandan deterrent before it even started” and the Government is “opening up new hotels instead of closing them down”.
Ms Cooper said: “The highest level on record was the last six months of the last Conservative government while he was in government, and in fact, the numbers since the summer are not the highest on record that, unfortunately, was his legacy.
“And while he was the immigration minister, he increased the number of asylum hotels 500% and increased the number of people in asylum hotels by over 900%.
“So seriously, he should not try and give lectures to anybody else at all.”
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe said “good government is transparent government” as he called on the Home Office to publish “the number of crimes committed by illegal migrants”.
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe called on the Home Office to publish ‘the number of crimes committed by illegal migrants’ (Joe Giddens/PA)
Dame Angela confirmed there will be “a huge statistical drop of immigration-related national statistics coming at the end of this week.”
Elsewhere in the session, the Tories called on the Government to go further to protect firearms officers when it comes to misconduct investigations.
Shadow Home Office minister Matt Vickers told the Commons: “I know the Home Secretary understands the importance of our brave firearms officers in dealing with serious and organised crime when they pose a danger to the public.
“I welcome the measures to provide anonymity, however, will they consider going further by allowing a defence to misconduct or criminal proceedings if an officer can show they’ve followed their training and procedure?”
Ms Cooper said the Government intends to strengthen the law, adding: “The system needs to work much more speedily to support officers in very difficult, split-second decisions.
“We have currently a review under way involving Tim Godwin and Sir Adrian Fulford that is looking at many of these issues.”