Reform of the asylum system

That this House believes that the Government does not have a credible plan to bring down the asylum backlog, close the remaining asylum hotels and bring order to the UK’s asylum system, including through the provision of controlled safe routes for refugees to reach the UK; regrets the repeal of the Government’s statutory duty to provide support for asylum seekers which risks forcing them into destitution and rough sleeping and placing significant operational and financial burdens onto already overstretched local authorities and charities; further regrets the removal of permanent refugee status which risks increasing the bureaucratic burden on the Home Office and the cost for taxpayers; and calls upon the Government to introduce Nightingale-style processing centres to quickly bring down the backlog, and secure a large scale returns agreement with France to stop dangerous channel crossings.