Labour Government Moves to Reopen Immigration Detention Centres in Bid to Ramp Up Removals

Labour administration plans to increase deportations, reactivating immigration detention facilities

The current Labour government is setting its sights on surpassing removal rates last seen during Theresa May’s tenure as Prime Minister in 2018.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 2:

Labour is moving forward with the former administration's strategy to reactivate two immigration facilities, aiming to reach the highest number of deportations since 2018.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to expand detention facilities, adding 290 beds at Campsfield House and Haslar.

The one located in Oxfordshire ceased operations in 2019, whereas the Gospar facility in Hampshire was closed down in 2015.

In 2022, the previous Conservative administration announced plans to restart operations at both sites, thereby expanding the detention capacity by 1,000 spaces at a cost of £339 million.

The proposal has met with significant resistance from the community. Opponents highlight that Campsfield House was shut down after facing numerous issues, such as hunger strikes, instances of self-harm, and suicides.

A source from the Home Office emphasized that the well-being and security of individuals under their responsibility is a priority, and that deportations are conducted with integrity and consideration.

Sky News has learned that plans are in place to eventually offer 1,000 beds across two locations, with 290 beds being prepared in the initial stage of construction and development.

The Home Office has announced that within the next six months, ministers aim to reach the highest number of deportations of individuals without legal residency rights, including rejected asylum seekers, since the year 2018.

Employees will be reassigned to boost recovery rates, which, according to the government, have fallen 40% since 2010.

The initiative is a component of a broader strategy to manage the UK's immigration and asylum framework.

In its successful campaign platform, Labour pledged to establish a new Border Security Command aimed at dismantling human trafficking networks that facilitate migrant crossings over the Channel. This initiative will be funded by reallocating resources from the recently abandoned Rwanda project.

The Conservative Party allocated approximately £700 million to a specific initiative, yet due to legal challenges, no asylum seekers were transferred under this scheme. Shortly after assuming office, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the plan was effectively "dead and buried."

Voters have limited tolerance for Labour's finger-pointing

Lead political reporter

Labour has described the Tories' Rwanda strategy as an "expensive trick" and a "political stunt." Does that ring a bell?

The recurring cycle of finger-pointing continues. Just this week, Sir Keir Starmer criticized the "dreadful legacy" the Tories have left behind regarding the state of prisons.

Labour is now speaking out about a "critical legacy" concerning border security.

We should also remember Rachel Reeves' assertion about a significant deficit in the country's budget and Wes Streeting's statement that "the NHS is broken".

Understood, the point is clear.

However, the challenge to halt the influx of boats could be the most formidable political conflict that Sir Keir confronts with the next Conservative leader.

Yvette Cooper has pledged to "rectify the chaos caused by the Tories," criticizing them for their inefficiency and "enormous squandering of public funds."

Confronted with a significant hurdle, the newly formed government acknowledges, quite reasonably, that there are no immediate solutions to issues of border security and asylum.

However, the electorate's patience for Labour's finger-pointing is limited. Particularly on the issue of halting the boats, they demand tangible outcomes more than anything else.

In addition to increasing the number of beds, the National Crime Agency (NCA), a UK-wide organization, will enhance its workforce by adding 100 new specialist intelligence officers to assist with approximately 70 ongoing investigations into human smuggling and trafficking rings.

This is in addition to the 50% increase in the number of NCA officers assigned to Europol.

Moreover, a fresh initiative focused on illegal employment will be launched to scrutinize and pursue employers who unlawfully hire individuals lacking proper residency rights.

Further reading: Cooper intensifies efforts to target individuals promoting hate. Starmer reveals strategy to tackle the root causes of illegal immigration.

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Addressing the media on Tuesday evening, Seema Malhotra, the junior minister of the home office, could not specify the timeline for the effectiveness of the strategy on small boat crossings, nor confirm if abandoning the Rwanda initiative would adequately finance the actions.

According to data from the Home Office, on Monday, 206 migrants made the journey across the English Channel in three vessels, bringing the preliminary count for 2024 to 19,294 individuals.

The current number represents a 10% rise from last year's count of 17,620 at the same time.

According to a recent Ipsos survey published on Friday, immigration has emerged as the leading concern among British citizens, hitting the top spot for the first time since 2016.

A source from the Labour Party indicated that the Conservative Party had bequeathed a "grim legacy" regarding border security, emphasizing that solutions would not be immediate.

Stay updated on the most recent developments in the UK and globally by tuning into Sky News.

Ms. Cooper stated, "We are implementing firm and decisive measures to enhance our border security and guarantee that the regulations are adhered to and enforced."

"Our recently established Border Security Command is swiftly mobilizing, actively hiring urgent new personnel and deploying more staff throughout Europe."

They will collaborate with European law enforcement authorities to identify and dismantle all pathways used by criminal smuggling networks that facilitate perilous boat journeys, compromising our border safety and endangering lives.

"By enhancing our enforcement capabilities and improving the efficiency of returns, we aim to create a more regulated and orderly system, replacing the long-standing disorder that has plagued our current system."

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