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| Rishi Sunak admits not enough asylum claims are being processed | Rishi Sunak admits not enough asylum claims are being processed |
| (4 months later) | |
| Keir Starmer says PM did 'grubby deal' to avoid an election | Keir Starmer says PM did 'grubby deal' to avoid an election |
| Keir Starmer says PM did 'grubby deal' to avoid an election | Keir Starmer says PM did 'grubby deal' to avoid an election |
| Rishi Sunak has admitted not enough asylum claims are being processed, but promised to fix the system. | Rishi Sunak has admitted not enough asylum claims are being processed, but promised to fix the system. |
| He was responding to questions from Sir Keir Starmer who accused the government of having lost control. | He was responding to questions from Sir Keir Starmer who accused the government of having lost control. |
| The Labour leader also called for Suella Braverman to be replaced with a "proper home secretary". | The Labour leader also called for Suella Braverman to be replaced with a "proper home secretary". |
| Last week MPs were told that just 4% of those coming to the UK via small boat Channel crossings in 2021 had received decisions on their asylum claims. | Last week MPs were told that just 4% of those coming to the UK via small boat Channel crossings in 2021 had received decisions on their asylum claims. |
| The government is also facing questions about severe overcrowding at the Manston asylum processing centre in Kent, which has reportedly led to outbreaks of disease and violence. | The government is also facing questions about severe overcrowding at the Manston asylum processing centre in Kent, which has reportedly led to outbreaks of disease and violence. |
| There have been reports of over 4,000 people staying at the centre, despite it being meant to hold just 1,600 when it was built. | There have been reports of over 4,000 people staying at the centre, despite it being meant to hold just 1,600 when it was built. |
| Migrants are supposed to be kept at the centre for 24 hours only but the chief inspector of immigration has said some people had been there for over a month. | Migrants are supposed to be kept at the centre for 24 hours only but the chief inspector of immigration has said some people had been there for over a month. |
| What's behind the Home Office migrant backlog? | What's behind the Home Office migrant backlog? |
| Fact-checking claims about asylum at PMQs | Fact-checking claims about asylum at PMQs |
| How many migrants cross the Channel in small boats? | How many migrants cross the Channel in small boats? |
| Stop targeting Albanians, country's PM tells UK | Stop targeting Albanians, country's PM tells UK |
| On Monday, Ms Braverman said illegal migration was "out of control" and acknowledged the system was "broken". | On Monday, Ms Braverman said illegal migration was "out of control" and acknowledged the system was "broken". |
| Repeating her comment at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir asked Mr Sunak "who broke it?" | Repeating her comment at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir asked Mr Sunak "who broke it?" |
| "If the asylum system is broken and his lot have been in power for 12 years - how can it be anyone's fault but theirs." | "If the asylum system is broken and his lot have been in power for 12 years - how can it be anyone's fault but theirs." |
| The prime minister defended his government's record, pointing to an increase of staff at Manston and the number of hotel beds available for arrivals. | The prime minister defended his government's record, pointing to an increase of staff at Manston and the number of hotel beds available for arrivals. |
| "These are significant steps that demonstrate we are getting a grip of this system," he told Sir Keir. | "These are significant steps that demonstrate we are getting a grip of this system," he told Sir Keir. |
| He accused Labour of not having a plan to fix the problem, describing their policy as "a blank page". | He accused Labour of not having a plan to fix the problem, describing their policy as "a blank page". |
| Sir Keir said the government had wasted £140m on the Rwanda scheme which has so far failed to deport any failed asylum seekers. | Sir Keir said the government had wasted £140m on the Rwanda scheme which has so far failed to deport any failed asylum seekers. |
| He urged the government to "scrap the Rwanda gimmick, crack down on smuggling gangs, end the small boat crossings, speed up asylum claims and agree an international deal on refugees? | He urged the government to "scrap the Rwanda gimmick, crack down on smuggling gangs, end the small boat crossings, speed up asylum claims and agree an international deal on refugees? |
| "Start governing for once and get a grip." | "Start governing for once and get a grip." |
| This was a difficult PMQs for the new prime minister for two reasons. | This was a difficult PMQs for the new prime minister for two reasons. |
| Firstly, he is Conservative prime minister number five after 12 years of Conservative government, and so there is nowhere to hide and no-one else to blame when things go wrong. | Firstly, he is Conservative prime minister number five after 12 years of Conservative government, and so there is nowhere to hide and no-one else to blame when things go wrong. |
| And secondly, because of the bluntness of his home secretary. | And secondly, because of the bluntness of his home secretary. |
| Suella Braverman said the other day that illegal immigration was "out of control". | Suella Braverman said the other day that illegal immigration was "out of control". |
| And Sunak was forced to admit the speed of processing asylum claims isn't good enough. | And Sunak was forced to admit the speed of processing asylum claims isn't good enough. |
| The prime minister is, for now, managing to keep his side on side - with tribal stuff that Conservative MPs lap up about Keir Starmer having wanted Jeremy Corbyn to become prime minister. | The prime minister is, for now, managing to keep his side on side - with tribal stuff that Conservative MPs lap up about Keir Starmer having wanted Jeremy Corbyn to become prime minister. |
| But you have to wonder about the shelf life of those attack lines as the problems for the government stack up. | But you have to wonder about the shelf life of those attack lines as the problems for the government stack up. |
| Earlier this year, the government announced plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda where they could claim refuge. | Earlier this year, the government announced plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda where they could claim refuge. |
| Ministers argue this would reduce the numbers crossing the English Channel, but the policy has been held up by legal challenges. | Ministers argue this would reduce the numbers crossing the English Channel, but the policy has been held up by legal challenges. |
| Almost 40,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2022 - the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018. | Almost 40,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2022 - the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018. |
| The delay in processing asylum claims is partly down to a rule change from 2019, whereby the Home Office scrapped a target for decision-making. | The delay in processing asylum claims is partly down to a rule change from 2019, whereby the Home Office scrapped a target for decision-making. |
| Council leaders in Kent have warned the home secretary the county is at "breaking point" dealing with the migrant issue, with public services coming under "extreme pressure". | Council leaders in Kent have warned the home secretary the county is at "breaking point" dealing with the migrant issue, with public services coming under "extreme pressure". |
| Manston, a former military base in Kent, opened as a migrant processing centre in February 2022 | Manston, a former military base in Kent, opened as a migrant processing centre in February 2022 |
| Earlier this week, Ms Braverman described the numbers arriving in the UK as an "invasion on the south coast". | Earlier this week, Ms Braverman described the numbers arriving in the UK as an "invasion on the south coast". |
| The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner has now criticised the home secretary, saying invasion was "a horrible word". | The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner has now criticised the home secretary, saying invasion was "a horrible word". |
| Speaking in Geneva, Volker Türk said politicians had to be sure their words didn't "add fuel to the fire on issues that are about human beings". | Speaking in Geneva, Volker Türk said politicians had to be sure their words didn't "add fuel to the fire on issues that are about human beings". |
| Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has also expressed anger at the rhetoric used in the UK, after figures showed a big rise in the number of Albanians coming to the UK in small boats. | Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has also expressed anger at the rhetoric used in the UK, after figures showed a big rise in the number of Albanians coming to the UK in small boats. |
| "Targeting Albanians (as some shamefully did when fighting for Brexit) as the cause of Britain's crime and border problems makes for easy rhetoric but ignores hard fact," he tweeted. | "Targeting Albanians (as some shamefully did when fighting for Brexit) as the cause of Britain's crime and border problems makes for easy rhetoric but ignores hard fact," he tweeted. |
| "Albanians in the UK work hard and pay tax... [the] UK should fight the crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating [against] Albanians to excuse policy failures." | "Albanians in the UK work hard and pay tax... [the] UK should fight the crime gangs of all nationalities and stop discriminating [against] Albanians to excuse policy failures." |
| Related Topics | |
| Keir Starmer | |
| Suella Braverman | |
| Rishi Sunak | |
| Migration |