Blockading migrant entry into the UK?

The government has had consultations for plans to install floating walls across the island channel in order to prevent the entry of asylum seekers. This is an important matter considering Greece had been found to have turned away thousands of vulnerable migrants this past summer.

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Maritime UK, a water transport trade group has been contacted by the Home Office following orders from the Home Secretary, regarding temporary “marine fencing and other water-based technologies” to target and block out asylum seekers entering on small boats. Maritime had suggested that this move was being pursued seriously by the government who seem eager to make this change. Maritime also did not believe the plan suggested was “legally possible”, however they emphasised that the consultation which had taken place was very sensitive and urged discretion from the members which were involved.

It is believed that the number of migrants crossing the channel by use of small boats has risen by almost fivefold in 2020 when compared with figures estimated from last year.

There are also ideas of an off shore asylum processing centre to be used for migrants. These centres have been claimed to be amongst islands which are over 4,000 miles from the UK which may include the Ascension Islands. St Helena which is approximately 5,500 miles away was also a possible location.

When questioned on this, Home Office department's secretary Matthew Rycroft repeatedly refused to deny reports that the government considered sending asylum seekers to isolated islands 4,000 miles away while applications are being processed for them. He stated "We are at the stage of looking at all sorts of options and responding to ministers' requests for us to do so. And it is entirely proper for us to do that". Despite hesitation from the Ministry of Defence, the government has also discussed using a disused prison located on the Isle of Wight, UK for purposes of housing asylum seekers. This would have been in correlation to Fort lockhouse in Gosport, which is currently used by the Royal Navy as an accommodation location for service personnel and was a submarine base and military hospital.

These suggestions have received backlash from other parties, with Nick Thomas-Symonds who is the acting Labour shadow home secretary saying "The Tories are lurching from one inhumane and impractical idea to another". Nonetheless, the government remains adamant in reducing the current numbers of migrants who are entering from across the Channel.