Asylum Hotels and Illegal Channel Crossings Debate

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Department: Home Office

Asylum Hotels and Illegal Channel Crossings

Jo White Excerpts
Tuesday 25th March 2025

(4 days, 15 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Angela Eagle Portrait Dame Angela Eagle
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Mr Deputy Speaker—sorry, Mr Speaker. I do not know why I am calling you Mr Deputy Speaker today; I have gone back a very long time to when you were, but that was so long ago that I can scarcely remember it. My apologies, Mr Speaker.

The right hon. Lady should remember that the Rwanda scheme was about deporting people for good, not dealing with their asylum claims. That is not in any way what this Government would ever consider doing, which is why that scheme was cancelled.

Jo White Portrait Jo White (Bassetlaw) (Lab)
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The shadow Home Secretary can complain all he wants, but while he was in the Home Office, 75,000 people crossed the channel, with thousands housed in hundreds of hotels across the country. A failed Rwanda scheme and a complete freeze on asylum decision making is the reason that the cost of hotels rose to £9 million a day; everything stopped just to send four volunteers to Rwanda, and the shadow Home Secretary is responsible for the chaos. Does my hon. Friend agree that the only party in this House that voted for the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will be the party that sorts this chaos out?

Angela Eagle Portrait Dame Angela Eagle
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I agree with my hon. Friend.