IT’S been a tough week on immigration for the Prime Minister.
With the backlog of asylum applications at a record 160,000, Rishi Sunak has created what is effectively an amnesty for 12,000 of these awaiting a decision.
Most of these will likely be waved in without interview.
The Home Office’s abject inability to process cases has forced his hand.
Further evidence of its failure is the fact that, of 20,000 failed asylum seekers who could be deported under a new scheme, just 21 have been removed.
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A Rishi plan to save taxpayers cash by housing those on waiting lists in tents at RAF bases and on ships has now run into opposition from civil servants who say it breaches EU rules.
But the PM’s determination to tackle the crisis sits in contrast to Labour’s.
Keir Starmer has no plan whatsoever.
Shamefully, illegal migration wasn’t among his bizarre “five missions” for government.
If Rishi can stop the small boats he could still win the election.
And he may then be in a position to take an axe to a Home Office unfit for purpose.
Admittedly, it looks a very big “if”.
But Labour’s total lack of any ideas on the subject should give him hope.
Rishi’s big gamble
THE stakes could not be higher.
The PM has placed almost all his political chips on the table.
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We must still wait for the full detail of the deal between Britain and the EU — though Rishi Sunak deserves credit just for persuading Brussels even to renegotiate the Northern Ireland protocol treaty.
The EU had previously insisted that this was impossible.
But if the PM is gambling that Brexiteers and the DUP will swallow EU laws having priority in Northern Ireland, then his move may fail.
They have always insisted this was a red line.
What’s certain is the country wants Rishi to get Brexit done, once and for all.
Good luck with that, PM.
A criminal failure
IS it any wonder the country is losing faith in its police?
Today we reveal nearly 1.5million crimes a year are going unsolved.
That’s 5,000 cases a day where victims get no justice — hardly surprising given that so many officers are desk-bound.
As well as tackling a rotten culture of sexism and misogyny, our police chiefs must get back to the basics.
And that means getting coppers out there actually catching crooks.