Labour Advances Immigration Policy with Reopening of Detention Centres.
Labour is moving forward with the previous government’s initiative to reopen two immigration detention centres as part of a strategy to achieve the highest removal rates since 2018.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that detention capacity will be increased by adding 290 beds at Campsfield House in Oxfordshire and Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire. Campsfield House, which closed in 2019, and Haslar, which shut down in 2015, will be reactivated under the plan.
The Conservative government, before it left office, had pledged to reopen these facilities to boost detention capacity by 1,000 beds, with a projected cost of £339 million. Despite this, local opposition has been significant, with critics noting the troubled history of Campsfield House, which faced issues including hunger strikes, self-harm, and suicides.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized that the welfare and safety of detainees will be a top priority, and that removals will be conducted with “dignity and respect.”
Sky News has learned that the long-term goal is to provide 1,000 beds across the two sites, but the initial phase will see 290 beds made available as construction progresses.
The Home Office aims to achieve the highest removal rates in six years for individuals without the right to remain in the UK, including those with failed asylum claims. This effort is part of a broader plan to address immigration and asylum challenges, with a focus on increasing the number of returns, which have dropped by 40% since 2010.
The Labour government also promised in its election manifesto to establish a new Border Security Command to combat people-smuggling gangs across the Channel, funded by resources redirected from the scrapped Rwanda scheme. The previous Conservative administration spent approximately £700 million on the Rwanda plan, but no asylum seekers were sent there due to legal issues. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared the plan “dead and buried” shortly after taking office.
In addition to the new beds, 100 specialist intelligence officers will be added to the National Crime Agency (NCA), which is currently involved in around 70 investigations into smuggling and trafficking. This follows a 50% increase in NCA officers stationed at Europol.
A new program will also target employers who illegally hire individuals without the right to work in the UK.
Junior Home Office Minister Seema Malhotra stated that it is uncertain when these measures will affect small boat crossings or whether the savings from the scrapped Rwanda plan will cover the new initiatives.
Home Office data revealed that 206 migrants crossed the English Channel on Monday alone, bringing the provisional total for 2024 to 19,294—a 10% increase from the same time last year.
Immigration has risen to the top of Britons’ concerns for the first time since 2016, according to a recent Ipsos poll.
A Labour spokesperson criticized the Conservatives for leaving a “dire inheritance” on border security, noting that there are “no quick fixes.” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asserted that the government is taking decisive steps to enhance border security and enforce regulations.
Cooper said, “Our new Border Security Command is rapidly being established, with new staff being recruited and additional personnel deployed across Europe. They will work with European enforcement agencies to dismantle smuggling gangs that threaten border security and endanger lives. By enhancing enforcement and returns, we aim to create a more controlled and efficient system, replacing the chaotic state that has plagued the system for too long.”