An IMGW News Report
The UK’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged that migrants arriving across the Channel in small boats will be “detained and sent back,” as his government comes under pressure to deliver results on border control and end the widespread use of asylum hotels.
Writing on X, Sir Keir declared: “We will not reward illegal entry. If you cross the Channel unlawfully, you will be detained and sent back.”
London and Paris are piloting a limited returns scheme, under which small-boat arrivals can be sent back to France in exchange for the UK taking an asylum seeker through official routes. Yet the numbers remain symbolic: so far in 2025, 29,003 people have crossed the Channel, the highest figure on record at this point in the year.
The government secured a legal victory on Friday after the Court of Appeal overturned an injunction that would have forced the relocation of 130 migrants housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping. The ruling allows the Home Office to continue using hotels, though ministers face further challenges from local councils and campaigners.
Labour had promised to close asylum hotels before the next general election. Lord Falconer, the former Lord Chancellor, said the government must “move forward in relation to closing the hotels and also stopping the crossings,” warning that failure would fuel support for Nigel Farage’s Reform party.
Reform has consistently led in opinion polls since spring, capitalising on public frustration over migration. The latest BMG poll for The i places Reform at 35%, some 15 points ahead of Labour.
Epping Forest District Council is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court against the Bell Hotel ruling, with a decision due on Monday, 1 September 2025.
