Plans to deport migrants to Rwanda to seek asylum in the central African state – seen as a key deterrent to crossings – are on hold pending the outcome of a court review of the policy’s legality. The backlog of undecided asylum applications has risen to a 30-year high of more than 110,000 people, while the number of asylum seekers held in hotels has tripled to more than 26,000, costing taxpayers £3m a day. Mr Smith said it was essential to renegotiate a deal with the EU and France to return migrants who crossed the Channel but should have sought asylum in the first country they entered the continent. “The only way is to reach some kind of agreement with the EU so that we can disrupt the business model of people smugglers. We need to show immigrants that it doesn’t mean that once you get here, you get to stay here,” Mr Smith said. The Home Office said the increase in “dangerous” canal crossings was “unacceptable” and that the new laws would allow it to crack down on abuses with smugglers now facing a maximum life sentence. A spokesman said it was continuing preparations to deport to Rwanda those who made dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK.
