Robert Buckland: ‘Let asylum seekers work – and pay tax’

When the small boats crisis began, it was seen by some in government as a positive sign. ‘It was an emblem of success,’ says Robert Buckland, who was solicitor general at the time. ‘If you remember, the previous mode of entry for migrants was on lorries.’ Heat scanners had been introduced at the Channel Tunnel in 2015, which meant more stowaways were being caught. The switch to boats, it was argued at the time, was a desperate tactic on the part of the people-smugglers. No one guessed what a problem it would become.

Back in 2014, the UK asylum system was coping: 87 per cent of cases were handled within six months. Now that number is just 7 per cent. The challenge of accommodating tens of thousands of applicants is too much for the Home Office to handle. The root cause appears to be the bureaucracy. ‘There will be people in the system for years waiting for their claims to be determined,’
says Buckland.