Deporting asylum seekers who cross into Britain on small boats will cost the government £6 billion ($7.5 billion) over the next two years, an internal report has said.
The Home Office will spend billions on detention facilities, accommodation and removals as ministers receive more powers to deport people under the Illegal Migration Bill.
The cost of housing of migrants in the UK is estimated to be £7 million a day, with officials now forcing room sharing to reduce costs.
The sharing of four to a room with two bunk beds led to protests by 40 asylum seekers, who staged a sit-down demonstration in central London on Friday.
The protest ended after the migrants were informed they would lose their free housing, food and money if they continued.
Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, told the BBC on Sunday that the asylum system was "riddled with abuse" and required "robust reform".
He added that "landmark" deals with Albania and France had seen a 40 per cent increase in small boats being stopped before they reach the English Channel.
The new migration bill proposes to remove asylum seekers who arrive by small boats across the English Channel within weeks.
The removals will be either to their home country, or Rwanda, although this policy is being challenged in the courts.
Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declaring the issue of stopping small boat crossing as a major political goal, there are growing concerns that the implementation is going to be costly and impractical.
The government hopes that the draconian laws will act as a deterrent to the thousands of migrants seeking sanctuary in Britain but the policies have also attracted deep criticism for their lack of empathy towards refugees.
Jon Featonby, the chief policy analyst at the Refugee Council, argued that the Home Office knew “so-called deterrence measures simply don't work”.
“It is preparing to detain thousands of desperate people who will end up on our shores in search of protection,” he said.
“Until refugees fleeing violence and persecution are given a safe pathway to seek asylum in our country, they will continue to risk their lives to get here.”
Asylum system annual costs will reach £3bn a year according to internal projections seen by the BBC, suggesting this figure will balloon if the migrants' bill becomes law.
A government spokesman said the legislation will help stop boats “by making sure people smugglers and illegal migrants” realise that entering Britain illegally “will result in detention and swift removal.”
He added: “Only then will they be deterred from making these dangerous journeys in the first place.”
The legislation has faced severe criticism in the House of Lords and also opposition from Conservative MPs, but the government is intent on pushing the bill through to demonstrate that it is strong on migration.
New figures published last month showed that Britain’s net migration had reached a record 600,000 with huge numbers of arrivals from outside the EU.
A key promise of Brexit had been to reduce the number of migrant arrivals.
Company%20profile
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
F1 The Movie
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Rating: 4/5
