Andy Burnham FINALLY addresses UK migration crisis after nearly 1,000 small boat arrivals in a week
Andy Burnham has spoken publicly about the migrant crisis for the first time since becoming Prime Minister last Monday, saying his government will continue working to shut down hotels that are being used to house asylum seekers.
His comments came after a busy week in the English Channel, with 881 migrants crossing to the UK in small boats. One of the crossings included a huge inflatable boat carrying more than 100 people, making it the largest number of migrants ever recorded arriving on a single small boat.
During a briefing, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked whether Mr Burnham still wanted to see asylum hotels closed. In response, he said the government’s work on that issue is still ongoing and has not changed.
The spokesman explained that the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is continuing to lead that work through the Home Office and remains responsible for delivering the government’s plans on immigration and asylum.
He also said there had been no change in the government’s approach and stressed that efforts to reduce the use of asylum hotels are continuing as planned.
According to the spokesman, Mr Burnham spent his first week as Prime Minister focusing on measures to help households struggling with the rising cost of living. He said the Prime Minister wanted to give families some immediate financial relief while also continuing work on other major issues facing the country.
The spokesman added that Mr Burnham understands that immigration is an issue many people across the UK care deeply about. He said the Prime Minister has made it clear in recent weeks that controlling migration and making the immigration system fairer remain important priorities for his government.
He also pointed to Mr Burnham’s decision to reappoint Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary as a sign that the government intends to continue with its current immigration reforms.
According to the spokesman, those reforms are aimed at restoring fairness to the immigration system, reducing illegal migration, and bringing overall migration under better control.
