Over 50 Conservative MPs have written a joint letter to the prime minister, suggesting that changes to modern slavery laws could ease the migrant crisis by making it easier to return some to their country of origin more quickly.
David Davis (pictured), the former Brexit secretary, is the main figure behind the letter, which also has the backing of senior Conservatives such as Dr Liam Fox, Esther McVey, Sir Peter Bottomley and Sir Graham Brady.
Davis and his fellow signatories say that a “simple” law change could hasten the process of sending migrants arriving from “safe countries” back to their country of origin.
It comes after many of those arriving on UK shores via the Channel this year were found to be Albanian nationals.
Davis said that an influx of migrants arriving from safe countries is “paralysing” the asylum system and that it ought to be protected for “people who really need it”.
Following the issuing of the letter, a spokeswoman for the government has said: “We have made clear that there is no one single solution to stop the increase in dangerous crossings.
“We have also made clear that we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to deter illegal migration.
“We are expediting the removal of individuals by agreeing tailored bilateral returns agreements with partners like Albania, elevating it to a key priority for our foreign policy.”
The number of people arriving in the UK this year having made the perilous Channel crossings now exceeds 40,000, a figure which the signatories of the letter say “needs cutting with a simple policy”.
The letter points out that current laws mean that the government cannot return migrants who claim to be victims of modern slavery, but argues that “if they have really been taken against their will, then they could not reasonably object to being returned to their own homes.”
It adds: “The quirks in our modern slavery laws that prevent this (returning migrants home) are clearly in defiance of the aims of that law and should be removed.”
The letter claims that such a law change would be a “straightforward and legally workable way of addressing the crisis” and act as a “very strong deterrent” to others that may consider making the journey.
The migrant crisis has reached such a point of severity that home secretary Suella Braverman has been forced to admit her department’s failure in controlling the UK borders and outlined steps to clear a major backlog in the asylum processing system.
The Home Affairs Committee was informed in October that the government was spending £7 million per day on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers, while the Manston processing site has featured in headlines recently after instances of severe overcrowding.
