Information gathered suggests that, the Tory administration has been considering a new camping cite for illegal migrants.
According to a minister within the government, Whitehall considers to transport those who reach the UK in tiny vessels to the volcanic island in south Atlantic of Ascension Island.
Sources further confirmed that, ministers have consented to seriously reconsider the 2020 proposal, which faced many oppositions and eventually shot down as being impractical.
Also, as questions and legal suits continue to surround the government’s migrant deal with Rwanda, Home Office Minister, Sarah Dine has stated categorically that, the idea of transporting illegal migrants to the Ascension Island might be given a greater consideration.
“We are pretty confident that Rwanda is a legal policy. The high court and the lord chief justice found that it was, so that is what we are focusing on. But, like any responsible government, we look at additional measures.
“So we are looking at everything to make sure our policy works. We need to reduce the pull factor of illegal criminal gangs getting people to this country, basically abusing the system.”
Sarah Dines, Home Office Minister.
Though, the high court determined eligibility of the UK-Rwanda migrant pact, the Court of Appeal recently ruled that, the pact was unconstitutional. The government now bank their hopes on the Supreme Court for an ultimate decision, as it seeks for a review.
Moreover, Sarah Dines averred that, so many things have changed, considering the nature of illegal migrants situation in UK now.
She added that, due to the urgency to find solutions to close the channels to illegal migrants crossing in small vessels, many different options have been discussed and considered.
When questioned about the possible enormous expense of transporting migrants 4,000 kilometers for processing, Dines responded that the pact with Rwanda remained the primary priority, but ministers have been considering “every other additional measure, as you would expect”.
Dines further expressed optimism that, the Bibby Stockholm barge would begin sheltering its first asylum seekers “in coming days,” as she responds to issues regarding the contentious government policy.
Additionally, she disclosed that, it would be a huge accomplishment for the vessel to begin housing the first immigrants at Portland Port, Dorset. “It is part of a wide range of places where we are going to accommodate people.”
However, under the first policy, immigrants whose allegations were found to be true would have been eligible to go back to the UK. But, as of now, anyone considered to have attempted to enter the UK illegally will be forever banned from entering the UK, under the new government’s Illegal Migration Act.
According to the former Home Secretary, Priti Patel, the Ascension Island strategy was first considered three years ago.
Though an informant from the Home Office revealed that, the Ascension initiative was recommended to her, when she inquired about how other countries dealt with asylum request, other sources claimed that, she called on the authorities to investigate the concept.
According to Nick Thomas-Symonds, a former Home Secretary, “This ludicrous idea is inhumane, completely impractical and wildly expensive. So it seems entirely plausible this Tory government came up with it.” Moreover, a Home Office source referred to the scheme as “implausible.”
On the contrary, aid groups which voiced out their disgust on the current UK illegal migration policy, have advised the government that, the only way to downsize the volume of migrants crossing the channels illegally to UK, is to provide extra “safe and legal” procedures to migrant to UK and apply for asylum.
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