Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has not ruled out the possibility of utilizing Treasury reserves to fund emergency asylum accommodation, as she made a commitment to put an end to the practice of utilizing hotels.
According to Ms. Reeves, the number of asylum seekers has increased significantly, and the cost of asylum support has risen by seven times.
During the Home Office Questions in the Commons on Monday, Mr. Cleverly refuted the notion that this was the case. However, he did inquire whether Ms. Cooper would be providing funding for emergency asylum accommodation in a similar manner to how he did.
“Does she reject the Chancellor’s description, or will she fund these costs in the same way I did?”
According to Ms. Cooper, Mr. Cleverly now appears to be acknowledging the complete disorder in the management of asylum accommodation finances.
According to her, he constantly had to search for last-minute reserve claims because they underfunded the asylum accommodation problems they created. This was due to the skyrocketing asylum backlog, which ultimately left the taxpayer to foot the bill.
Mr. Cleverly once again asked if she would be drawing down from Treasury reserves.
The Home Secretary also addressed the rumors of vote-lending in the Tory leadership contest, which now has Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch as the final two contenders. He mentioned that Mr. Cleverly had been eliminated from the race due to his inability to count.
“We acknowledge the unfortunate reality that resolving this issue will require considerable time due to the backlog we have inherited from the previous administration’s decision-making failures. Nevertheless, our commitment remains unwavering in addressing this backlog and saving taxpayers hundreds of millions, if not billions, of pounds.”
Ms. Cooper responded to Rupert Lowe’s claim that “dangerous foreign criminals have been using the ECHR as a loophole to remain in the UK.” She emphasized that agreements to prevent small boats from reaching the English Channel would not be achievable without international law.
In her address to the Commons, she emphasized the importance of collaborating with other nations to address the issue of gangs and boats before they even reach the French coast.
“We have strengthened our collaboration through the establishment of new agreements with prominent entities, including the G7, Europol, and Italy. Furthermore, we are actively working towards forging new partnerships with France, Germany, and Belgium.”
“We cannot abandon international law if we want to uphold these agreements.”
On Friday, over 600 individuals made the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats. This comes just a day after a devastating incident in which a baby lost their life during the crossing. The heartbreaking incident was described by Ms. Cooper as “truly tragic.”