Starmer Plans New Bodies to Tackle 106,000 UK Asylum Backlog Amid Hotel Protests

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing intense criticism over his handling of the UK’s asylum and migration crisis, particularly concerning the surge in small boat crossings and the use of taxpayer-funded asylum hotels. With a record 28,076 individuals crossing the English Channel this year—a 46% increase from 2024—public frustration has grown, leading to widespread protests and a YouGov poll showing 71% of voters disapprove of Starmer’s approach, including a majority of Labour supporters. In response, the government has introduced measures to overhaul the asylum appeals process by establishing new independent bodies with statutory powers to expedite cases, particularly prioritizing those in asylum hotels and foreign national offenders, aiming to reduce the current backlog of 51,000 asylum appeals and cut taxpayer costs. However, critics from the Conservative Party, Reform UK, and even former Labour Home Secretary Lord Blunkett argue that these steps are insufficient and call for more radical reforms, such as suspending certain human rights protections and abolishing the Human Rights Act to enable faster detentions and deportations. Labour leader Anas Sarwar has rejected proposals to suspend human rights protections, highlighting divisions within the party on how to tackle the crisis. The escalating tensions and legal challenges surrounding asylum hotels underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and effective strategy to regain public and political control over the migration issue.