Tory MPs urge PM to change law to ease migrant crisis

More than 50 Tory MPs person urged PM Rishi Sunak to change "quirks" successful modern slavery laws to marque it easier to nonstop immoderate migrants home.

The letter, arranged by erstwhile Brexit caput David Davis, demands those travelling from "safe countries", specified arsenic Albania, beryllium returned much quickly.

The MPs support a "simple" alteration successful the instrumentality could easiness the existent crisis.

A Home Office root said Home Secretary Suella Braverman was "working level out" to lick the issue.

The root said Ms Braverman and Mr Sunak were moving "to bring successful reforms to assistance stem the travel of migrants crossed the Channel".

They are facing mounting unit to trim the migrant numbers crossing the Channel successful tiny boats.

Last week, figures calculated by the BBC suggested much than 40,000 migrants person crossed successful tiny boats from France truthful acold this year.

In the letter, Tory backbenchers including Sir Graham Brady, president of the 1922 Committee, picture the crossings arsenic a "Gordian Knot that needs cutting with a elemental policy".

The signatories reason that a proviso successful existent instrumentality prevents the authorities from returning a idiosyncratic who says they are a unfortunate of modern slavery to their archetypal home.

"If they person truly been taken against their will, past they could not reasonably entity to being returned to their ain homes," the missive said.

"The quirks successful our modern slavery laws that forestall this are intelligibly successful defiance of the aims of that instrumentality and should beryllium removed."

MPs, including erstwhile Cabinet ministers Dr Liam Fox and Esther McVey, and longest-serving MP Sir Peter Bottomley, are among the 50-strong assemblage of Conservative politicians calling for the change.

They reason this "straightforward and legally workable mode of addressing the crisis" would beryllium a "very beardown deterrent" to those who mightiness beryllium readying to marque the travel crossed the Channel.

The ample bulk of migrants assertion asylum connected accomplishment successful the UK and galore are housed successful hotels portion awaiting the result of their applications, which are often taxable to delay.

Thousands of migrants were placed successful tents astatine the centre during the autumn months, starring to overcrowding and outbreaks of disease.

Everyone staying astatine the impermanent tract has since been placed successful alternate accommodation, according to the Home Office.

A authorities spokeswoman said: "We person made wide that determination is nary 1 azygous solution to halt the summation successful unsafe crossings.

"We person besides made wide that we volition proceed to usage each instrumentality astatine our disposal to deter amerciable migration.

"We are expediting the removal of individuals by agreeing tailored bilateral returns agreements with partners similar Albania, elevating it to a cardinal precedence for our overseas policy."