Overview

• Chris Philp admitted in a leaked recording that the UK could no longer rely on EU's Dublin Regulation to return asylum seekers to their first country of entry post-Brexit.
• The recording revealed that approximately half of Channel crossing migrants had previously claimed asylum in other European countries before arriving in the UK.
• The Conservative government introduced the Rwanda deportation scheme in 2022 as a deterrent, but it was legally blocked and deported no one while costing taxpayers £700 million.
• Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper reported a 20% increase in migrant returns and a 40% rise in illegal working raids and arrests since the Labour government took office.
• Ongoing negotiations with France aim to establish a new bilateral agreement for asylum returns, as the Labour government seeks to address Channel crossings and organized smuggling networks.