Today the Immigration Minister said that the Government is still considering housing asylum seekers and refugees on sea vessels in a statement to the House of Commons
While saying that the Government will repurpose former military bases to house people while their claims are processed, Robert Jenrick claimed that the government was still "exploring the possibility of accommodating migrants in vessels".
The comments came after a flurry of contradictory briefings reported in the media over the past few days and despite similar proposals being rejected last year for being too costly. Estimates suggested that the costs of such a plan could surpass the £5.6million currently being spent on accomodation daily because of the Government's failure to reduce the asylum backlog.
The plans have led to criticism of the Government's chaotic and inhumane treatment of people trying to claim asylum in the UK, a right under international law.
Earlier this month, the UK Government garnered international condemnation for introducing a Bill that would subvert this international right by giving the Home Secretary the legal duty to undertake mass detention and deportation of arrivals to the UK without reviewing their claim.
Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain said,
“The Government has been floating Victorian-era ideas to distract from their abject failure to address the asylum backlog which is costing taxpayers and preventing people rebuilding their lives and contributing to the UK.
"Dangerous Channel crossings will not be prevented with cruelty; they will only stop when the Government reestablishes the safe routes they closed and which would instantly destroy the traffickers’ business model.”