Explained: What Is UK PM Rishi Sunak's Five-Point Illegal Immigration Clampdown Plan?

Rishi Sunak has laid out a strategy to prevent migrants who cross the English Channel from remaining in UK. Who are these migrants? Why did UK announce such a plan? We decode

Migrants arrive at Dover port after being picked up in the channel by the border force

Infuriated by migrants entering the United Kingdom illegally, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has laid out a five-step strategy to tackle illegal immigration. Addressing the House of Commons last week, Sunak had said, "Enough is enough...It is unfair that people come here illegally". 

The Indian-origin PM said the governent would bring in new legislation to prevent migrants who cross the English Channel from remaining in the country. Sunak also promised to end the government's backlog of asylum seekers by the end of the year 2023.

Why Did Sunak Announce Such A Plan On Illegal Immigration?

As per data collated by the UK government, the number of people arriving in England across the Channel through small boats has more than doubled in the last two years, Reuters reported. The figures showed Albanians account for the highest number of people arriving by this route.

This year has seen the highest number of migrants coming to the UK, with more than 40,000 people crossing the Channel. Sunak said that Albanians accounted for more than a third of arrivals (33,000) in the first nine months of 2022 compared to 3 per cent last year.

The backlog of asylum applications received from these migrations has also been a headache for the ruling Conservative government.

The asylum backlog has exploded in recent years, with 117,000 outstanding claims relating to 143,377 people yet to be decided. Of these, nearly 100,000 people have been waiting more than six months, BBC reported.

Sunak has said a dedicated unit of 400 specialists would be set up to handle claims from Albanians.

"It is unfair on those with a genuine case for asylum when our capacity to help is taken up by people coming through, and from, countries that are perfectly safe," Sunak said at the Commons. 

Interestingly, about two-thirds of migrant arrivals whose cases have been examined by the UK government have been found to be genuine refugees.

Who Are The Migrants? Where Are They Coming From And Why?

According to data from the UK Home Office as stated in an article by BBC, the first nine months of the year saw maximum influx of migrants belonging to two nationalities -- 35 per cent Albanian and 15 per cent Afghan.

In 2020, 50 people migrated from Albania to the UK. In 2021, the number increased to 800. It shot up to a staggering 11,241 from the months of January to September in the year 2022. This number has now reached almost 13,000.

There is, however, no exact reason behind the increase in migration to the UK. Many are refugees fleeing persecution and seeking asylum and safety. Most, however, are economic migrants looking for work and a better life.

"The rise has been exponential and we think that is in the main due to the fact that Albanian criminal gangs have gained a foothold in the north of France," Clandestine Channel Threat Commander Dan O'Mahoney told the Home Affairs Select Committee as reported by BBC. 

On the other hand, Albanian migrants have been accused of playing the victim card of modern slavery and exploiting the system by wrongly accusing Albania, which is recognised to be a safe and prosperous country.

What Is Rishi Sunak's Five-Point Plan?

1) Small Boats Operational Command

Sunak said the government would form a permanent unified Small Boats Operational Command combining military personnel, civilians and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

It will recruit 700 staff and the NCA will also get its funding doubled for tackling organised immigration crime in Europe.

Sunak said the new command would enable staff to coordinate intelligence and enforcement better.

2) Focus On Enforcement

Setting up the new command will free up immigration officers, which will lead to stricter law enforcement and increased raids at illegal business premises by 50 per cent.

Rishi Sunak also plans to restart data sharing to prevent the illegal migrants from opening bank accounts, living and working in the UK on false premises.

3) No More Hotels For Asylum Seekers

The government will switch to cheaper alternative accommodations and stop using hotels to house asylum seekers.

Disused holiday parks, empty university halls and surplus military sites would be used to house asylum seekers. This will reduce the everyday expenditure of 5.5 million pounds.

4) More Caseworkers

Numbers of asylum caseworkers will be doubled to triple productivity, the UK PM said. He also plans to introduce specialist case workers by nationality.

"We are radically re-engineering the end-to-end process with shorter guidance, fewer interviews and less paperwork," Sunak said. 

With more than 100,000 waiting for more than a year, Sunak hopes it will be settled by the end of 2023.

5) New Agreement With Albania

Sunak said a "new agreement" has been agreed with Albania in which UK border officers would be embedded in Tirana airport in Albania to combat organised crimes and stopping people trying to get to the UK illegally.

Moreover, some 400 new specialists will work on expediting Albanian applications.

New guidance will also be issued for caseworkers that Albania is a safe country. This will mean the "majority of claims" are rejected and thousands returned on "weekly flights" in the coming months until "all the Albanians in our backlogs have been removed".

The threshold for what is considered a "modern slave" will be increased to require "objective evidence and not just a suspicion".