Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing intense scrutiny over the soaring costs of housing migrants in hotels and detention centers, which currently stands at a staggering £112 per person per night.
According to Express, the latest statistics show that nearly 80% of those held in immigration detention centers in 2022 were released into UK communities rather than deported. This is less than half the average deportation rate between 2015-2019.
Critics have blasted Sunak over the failed policy, arguing that detention is failing to fulfill its purpose of facilitating deportations. Instead, taxpayers are footing enormous bills to house migrants for extended periods without tackling the root causes of illegal immigration.
Ben Habib, Co-Deputy Leader of Reform UK, slammed the findings as “more evidence of [Sunak’s] failed migration ‘policy’.” Habib told reporters, “Sunak and his colleagues insist on not policing our borders and instead relying on deportation as their answer to illegal entry.”
The revelations will pile further pressure on the embattled Prime Minister, who has staked his reputation on getting to grips with the small boats crisis in the English Channel.
Nearly 30,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after making the perilous crossing in inflatable dinghies and other small vessels. The numbers show no signs of slowing despite the government’s efforts.
Sunak is currently battling to revive controversial legislation to send asylum seekers on a one-way ticket to Rwanda. However, he suffered a setback this week after the resignation of Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, who said the proposed bill does “not go far enough.”
The Prime Minister has appealed for unity from his fractious party, insisting the new safety measures would overcome all previous legal barriers that have prevented deportation flights from leaving British runways.
But Tory critics lined up to condemn the plans as inadequate, with the European Research Group of Brexiteers warning they were full of “holes” and destined to fail.
The ERG said resolving the issues would require “very significant amendments”, while other senior Conservative MPs said the policy was now “holed below the waterline.”
It comes amid growing fears that Sunak could face a leadership challenge if he suffers a humiliating Commons defeat on the landmark legislation.
One senior backbencher told reporters, “If this bill gets knocked back, Rishi is over.”
They added, “He has defined his Premiership as being tough on immigration but he looks powerless to stop the small boats flooding Britain with illegal migrants.”
The crunch vote next week is shaping up to be the most important test of authority for any Prime Minister since Theresa May’s Brexit deal vote in 2019, which ultimately ended her leadership.
While Sunak has insisted it is not an issue of confidence in his government, few Westminster insiders see how he could continue without progress on his flagship migration policy.
The Prime Minister remains defiant, pleading with MPs to back the bill so the government can “get on with the job.”
But privately, Downing Street is braced for a sizeable revolt from Tory rebels that may yet bring Sunak’s turbulent premiership to a swift end.
