Labour promises to end use of hotels for asylum seekers and clear case backlog

Published

1 year ago

September 15, 2023

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Labour has promised to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers if it gets into power at the next election.

Outlining its latest policy pledges, the party said it would also clear the growing backlog of asylum cases and speed up the return of those who fail to meet the threshold.

As a result of its measures, Labour claimed long-standing facilities for housing asylum applicants – with space for 58,000 people – would be sufficient, meaning not only would hotels becomes redundant, but so would barges and military sites.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Tory chaos at our borders and in the asylum system is costing taxpayers billions and must come to an end. All we have had from this government is gimmicks not grip.

“Labour has a serious plan to end the government’s wasteful spending on hotels and return people who have no right to be here.”

Figures from the Home Office at the end of August showed more than 51,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels, costing around £6m per day, while the full bill for the accommodation in the last financial year was £2.28bn.

The backlog of asylum claims in the UK hit a record high in the same month, with a total of 175,457 people waiting for an initial decision on their application – up 44% from 2022 and the highest figure since records began in 2010.

Of those, 139,961 had been waiting more than six months – a 57% increase from last year and another record high.

Labour plans to tackle these figures by hiring over 1,000 new caseworkers for the Home Office, with increased pay to “improve productivity”, and recruiting 1,000 staff to man a new returns unit, with fast-track decisions on applications from safe countries processed “within weeks”.

It would also create so-called Nightingale courts – echoing the pop-up facilities brought in post-COVID – to speed up any legal challenges to asylum decisions and ensure removals are processed.

This latest announcement comes after the party received a mixed response to its plan to strike a new returns agreement with the EU to tackle migration figures.

Labour confirmed it could accept a quota of migrants to get a deal over the line as it sought “management and control of the system” after the Conservatives had “lost control of our borders”.

But Tory critics thrashed the announcement, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claiming it would see the UK accept 100,000 migrants from the EU every year – although he did not say how he had calculated the figure.

Mr Sunak has made tackling illegal migration – especially when it comes to small boat crossings of the Channel – one of his five priorities in government, backing measures such as deporting some migrants to Rwanda and housing people on barges.

But both schemes have hit barriers, with Rwanda flights caught up in the courts and an outbreak of Legionella disease on the Bibby Stockholm vessel.

But the prime minister has repeatedly defended the government’s progress, saying: “We’ve already reduced the legacy backlog by over 28,000 – nearly a third – since the start of December and we remain on track to meet our target.”

Politics

Starmer says ‘US is right’ about UK and Europe needing to take more responsibility for defence

Published

3 hours ago

February 23, 2025

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Starmer says 'US is right' about UK and Europe needing to take more responsibility for defence

Sir Keir Starmer has said the United States “is right” about the UK and Europe needing to take more responsibility for defence and security.

The prime minister, speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow on Sunday, said he is clear Britain “will take a leading responsibility” in protecting the continent.

“Instability in Europe always washes up on our shores,” he said.

“And this is a generational moment. I’ve been saying for some time that we Europeans – including the United Kingdom – have to do more for our defence and security. The US is right about that.”

He added “we can’t cling to the comforts of the past” as it is “time to take responsibility for our security”.

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Donald Trump sparked an emergency meeting of European leaders this week after he said European NATO members should spend more on defence, while the US should spend less.

Sir Keir has said he will set out a path for the UK to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, up from the current 2.3%, but has not indicated when that will be.

It is believed he may announce the details when he visits Mr Trump in Washington DC on Thursday, bringing forward the announcement that was expected in the spring when a defence spending review is published.

The prime minister reiterated the UK will “play our role” if required in Ukraine following a peace agreement after he earlier this week said the UK would send troops to be part of a peacekeeping force.

However, his comments caused a row with Germany and Italy who said it was premature to commit to boots on the ground, although France agreed with the UK.

Sir Keir said: “As we enter a new phase in this conflict, we must now deepen our solidarity even further.”

He added: “There can be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine.

“And the people of Ukraine must have long-term security.”

This week has seen US officials meet their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine – which has been met with indignation by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as none of his team were invited.

No Europeans were invited either, sparking concern the US is pandering to Vladimir Putin.

Sir Keir has promised Mr Zelenskyy he will make the case for safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty when he meets with Mr Trump, who has called the Ukrainian president a dictator.

Mr Trump also said Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, who will visit the White House too this week, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.

Politics

Starmer announces £200m for Grangemouth

Published

6 hours ago

February 23, 2025

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The prime minister has announced £200m for Grangemouth ahead of the closure of Scotland’s last oil refinery.

Sir Keir Starmer, speaking at the Scottish Labour conference on Sunday, said the cash would come from the National Wealth Fund for an “investment in Scotland’s industrial future”.

Grangemouth oil refinery, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, is set to cease operation this summer and transition into an import terminal, making 400 workers redundant.

Politics latest: Starmer says US ‘is right’ and Europe needs to take more defence responsibility

Sir Keir said: “We will grasp the opportunities at Grangemouth, work alongside partners to develop viable proposals, team up with business to get new industries off the ground and to attract private investors into the partnership we need.

“We will allocate £200m from the National Wealth Fund for investment in Grangemouth.”

The money comes on top of a £100m “growth plan” already in place for the area.

Scotland’s first minister, the SNP’s John Swinney, welcomed the announcement and said it is “important that the Scottish and UK governments work together on securing the future for the workforce”.

Sir Keir said the new investment will be a partnership with the private sector, and he is expecting three times the amount the government is putting in to come from private investors.

The prime minister said he believes the transition to clean energy is a “golden opportunity for Britain, especially for Scotland”, and is essential for national security as it “gets Putin’s boots off our throat”.

However, he said oil and gas are also “vital for our security” so will be “part of the future of Scotland for decades to come”.

As well as the investment in Grangemouth’s future, Sir Keir said every person made redundant will get 18 months full pay and a skills and training offer “backed up with up to £10m”.

Any business in Grangemouth that takes on those workers will get National Insurance relief, he also said.

Petroineos, which owns Grangemouth, announced last September it was to close Grangemouth by this summer because it was unable to compete with sites in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The refinery is understood to have been losing about £395,000 a day when it made the announcement and was on course to lose about £153m this year.

The company said the decision would “safeguard fuel supply for Scotland” by converting the site into a terminal able to import petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and kerosene into Scotland.

However, it said that would only need a workforce of fewer than 100 employees.

Petroineos announced its intention to close the plant in November 2023 but union leaders had hoped it could remain open for longer to provide time for a green alternative to be established there.