Priti Patel told Tory MPs that the asylum system was “broken” as she promised to introduce laws that would “send the left into meltdown”.
The
home secretary said that the system was being “exploited by leftie Labour-supporting lawyers” who were doing everything they could to stop the government removing people.
The comments were part of a Zoom conference call to discuss ways to overhaul the asylum system. One MP on the call said that Ms Patel criticised “judicial activism”.
She is working on a “fair borders bill” to be introduced this year. It is intended to stop people drawing out the asylum application process by making them declare all their grounds for refugee status when they apply, rather than being able to submit new reasons later.
“She talked about how the asylum system is broken, is exploited by leftie Labour-supporting lawyers who are sending us legal letters every day to try to stop us removing people from this country,” the Tory MP said. “She said she has legislation coming forward and it’s going to be difficult, the left are going to have a meltdown. She said that the government’s hands are tied because of legal constraints that date back to Tony Blair’s time.”
Ms Patel also said that Britain would not give France any extra money to deal with migrants until it agreed to take back more of those who crossed the Channel.
France has asked for an extra £30 million to patrol beaches and carry out more surveillance. Ministers are considering plans to use Border Force and Royal Navy vessels to block small boats from entering British waters. The French authorities would be contacted to intercept them. Ms Patel suggested, however, that Royal Navy vessels were unlikely to be used in the Channel. She was speaking to Tory MPs in the “common sense” group, which is campaigning for tougher immigration controls.
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