‘Small boats command’ and Border Force officers in Albania will tackle Channel crisis, Rishi Sunak says

The UK will launch a new “small boats operational command” to tackle Channel crossings and deploy Border Force officers to Albania under Rishi Sunak’s plan to crack down on illegal immigration.

Mr Sunak promised to clear the number of asylum claims awaiting a decision by the end of 2023 and announced plans to fast-track the removal of Albanian migrants.

He said he would raise threshold of modern slavery to make it harder for asylum seekers to use existing rules to seek safety in the UK.

And he announced a new agreement with the Albanian government aimed at preventing people migrating from the country to the UK, which will include stationing UK officials in Tirana.

He said the “only way” to enter the UK will be through “safe and legal routes” but said he planned to “introduce an annual quota” of the number of refugees that will be accepted, with the numbers set by Parliament.

Former PM Theresa May, who oversaw the introduction of new laws to crack down on modern slavery when Home Secretary, warned Mr Sunak it was a “very real and current threat” and said people-smuggling and human-trafficking are “separate crimes” and should not be conflated.

“Contrary to what is said by some commentators, and sadly some members of this House, people-smuggling and human-trafficking are distinct and separate crimes and should not be treated or spoken of as one,” she said.

“Modern slavery is a very real and current threat with too many people brought to this country into slavery and that we must do nothing to diminish our world-leading protections for the victims of this terrible horrific crime?”

Mr Sunak said the comments were “absolutely right” but said the UK must ensure its “world-leading modern slavery regime actually helps the people who are most in need”.

In a Commons statement Mr Sunak told MPs of his five-step plan to tackle the issue of illegal immigration and asylum backlogs.

He said the Government would “establish a new permanent unified small boats operational command”, bringing together “military and civilian capability and the National Crime Agency”.

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He also said “extra resources will free up immigration officers to go back to enforcement which will in turn allow us to increase raids on illegal working by 50 per cent”.

Mr Sunak said the Government was establishing new asylum accommodation sites to prevent people from being housed in hotels – looking at former military bases and student accommodation.

And he added the Government would “double the number of asylum caseworkers”, create less paperwork, and establish new specialist caseworkers by nationality.

Mr Sunak concluded: “As a result of all of these changes we will triple the productivity of our caseworkers and we expect to abolish the backlog of initial asylum decisions by the end of next year.”

Setting out specific plans to tackle the high proportion of Albanian asylum seekers, Mr Sunak went on: “Today, I can announce a new agreement with Albania and a new approach.

“First, we will embed Border Force officers in Tirana airport for the first time ever, helping to disrupt organised crime and stop people coming here illegally.

“Second, we will issue new guidance for our caseworkers to make it crystal clear that Albania is a safe country. Third, one of the reasons we have struggled to remove people is because they unfairly exploit our modern slavery system, so we will significantly raise the threshold someone has to meet to be considered a modern slave.”