The volume of illegal small boat arrivals has overwhelmed our asylum system. We are at the point now where the sheer scale of arrivals is stopping us from being able to help the people who need help the most. The asylum system currently costs the British taxpayer £3 billion a year, and since 2018, some 85,000 people have illegally entered the UK by small boat.
This is why stopping the boats was one of the five promises the Prime Minister made to the public in January. The new Illegal Migration Act will fulfil this promise and means that someone who enters this country illegally will be swiftly detained and removed back to their home country if it is safe. This will help the break the business model of people-smuggling networks, and ultimately save lives.
However, as we reduce illegal migration, the Government will do more to help the most vulnerable through safe and legal routes as it has done for Syria, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Ukraine. Since 2015, the UK has offered safety to nearly 480,000 people from all over the world. While supporting the most vulnerable, the Act introduces an annual cap, to be determined by Parliament, on the number of refugees the UK will accept, once illegal migration is under control.
To be clear, the ability to deport people who arrive in this country illegally is key. Therefore, with these new changes, the system will rely on swift action against those who enter illegally.
Overall, this Act will ensure that we have a safe and fair immigration system, which will continue to help the most vulnerable.