Labour tonight accused Suella Braverman of seeking headlines instead of sorting the mess caused by Tories. In March, 172,758 asylum seekers were waiting for an initial decision on their case
The first refugees boarded a barge today as the Tories’ asylum policy descended into chaos.
As only 15 arrived, No10 had to admit having no idea how many would be on the vessel, branded a deathtrap. Lawyers last night intervened to stop more transfers. Plans for an asylum centre on Ascension Island were then revived and ditched within hours, while the number of refugees housed in hotels continued to rise. Labour’s Yvette Cooper accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of “flailing about chasing headlines, rather than getting a grip”.
After weeks of delays, at 10.25am today a mini-bus with blacked-out windows drove into the port, carrying the first refugees to the Bibby Stockholm barge.
But, in one of a string of blunders revealing the chaos at the heart of Tory policy, refugee charity Care4Calais said around 20 asylum seekers had their transfers to the vessel “cancelled” after their lawyers challenged the decisions. A government source reacted by alleging “Labour-linked charities and lawyers” were preventing the transfer of “illegal migrants” from pricey hotels.