Mark Francois has issued a stark warning that Government proposals to accelerate asylum application processing could dramatically increase illegal Channel crossings.
Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Defence Minister characterised the initiative as creating a “gigantic pull factor” for unauthorised entry into Britain.
Francois expressed alarm at current migration figures, noting that crossings had already reached 25,000 by early August.
He said: “We’ve now hit 25,000 and we’re only in early August. The Government have announced this weekend they’re going to try and massively speed up the process of asylum claims.
PA / GB News
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Mark Francois has branded Labour’s latest move to tackle the migrant crisis a ‘gimmick’
“The problem with that is it will act as a gigantic pull factor. At the moment, about half of all asylum claims are granted.”
He warned that once word spreads through migrant camps in northern France that British authorities plan to process claims “within weeks”, the 50 per cent success rate would motivate far more attempts at the dangerous crossing.
“This is not thought through,” he told GB News, arguing that the accelerated timeline would amplify rather than reduce the problem.
The Shadow Defence Minister dismissed recent Government announcements about tackling smuggling networks, describing a scheme involving “17 in and one out” as nothing more than a “gimmick”.
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More than 25,000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel into Britain this year alone
Francois launched a scathing assessment of Labour’s immigration strategy, asserting that the party lacks any coherent approach to preventing small boat arrivals.
He stated: “They said they would smash the gangs. They palpably haven’t, this ridiculous scheme of 17 in and one out that was announced a few weeks ago is a total gimmick.
“Labour have no plan whatsoever to stop the boats, and that’s a tragedy because the boats will keep coming. We’ll need more asylum hotels, and there will be more and more social unrest as a result.
“This is all tinkering. The truth is, they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing, and the boats will keep coming, and people will get angrier and angrier about it.”
GB News
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Francois told GB News that there will be more ‘social unrest’ in regards to migrant hotels if the Government continues to keep them open
The Shadow Defence Minister argued that Labour scrapped the Rwanda scheme “in a fit of pique” whilst failing to establish any viable alternative.
Reflecting on the discontinued Rwanda policy, he acknowledged implementation delays whilst defending its underlying principle. “Should we have done it quicker? Yes. Should we have made further progress on it? Yes,” he conceded, before noting that time ran out due to the election.
The Conservative MP predicted severe repercussions from the Government’s approach, warning of increased demand for asylum accommodation and heightened community tensions.
“We’ll need more asylum hotels, and there will be more and more social unrest as a result,” Francois concluded.
