The Home Office plans to utilize 10 cruise ships, barges, and ferries for housing asylum seekers in ports all over the country since ministers find it challenging to deal with the asylum backlog.
Officials have been advised to consider all options to house individuals facing delayed processing, including former prisons and military camps. Interestingly, the total backlog is over 1,500, which is way higher than it was in December when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to eliminate it within a year.
Reports suggest Home Office may be forced to look for more hotels to house asylum seekers, even though there’s pressure from Conservative backbench MPs after it failed to locate 10,000 spaces in unused prisons, military camps, and large vessels according to the plan.
A government source has been reported as saying the utilization of giant refurbished ferries and cruise ships to provide shelter to refugees may lead to a deterrent effect on individuals arriving in small boats. However, critics believe it would cause arbitrary detention.
It seems that the home secretary faces increased pressure from Conservative backbenchers to come up with an alternative solution to provide shelter to migrants in hotels. Currently, 400 are being used for 51,000 asylum seekers at a day-to-day cost of £6.2m.
According to a Home Office spokesperson, there is increased pressure on the asylum system, demanding authorities look for accommodation options with better value for money for taxpayers, such as using the vessels.
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