Tories pledge to remove 750,000 migrants under borders plan

"The Conservatives say they would task officials with removing 750,000 illegal immigrants from the UK within five years if they win the next election. Under plans unveiled as its annual conference begins, the party has pledged to ban people who enter the UK without permission from ever claiming asylum. It would also prevent those whose claims are rejected from challenging decisions in the courts, with appeals instead handled by Home Office officials."

"In the run-up to the four-day gathering, the party has already said it would end the UK's 75-year membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in a bid to thwart asylum appeals, confirming a widely-expected policy shift. Under the latest proposals, the Home Office's immigration enforcement unit would be rebranded as a "Removals Force" and given wider-ranging powers, along with an extra 820m per year the Tories say could be unlocked by closing asylum hotels."

"The party says it would give the new unit a "mandate" to remove at least 150,000 people each year, totalling 750,000 during the five-year lifetime of a Parliament. This would include people currently living in the UK illegally, the party says, as well as future illegal arrivals and all foreign nationals convicted of a crime more serious than minor parking or speeding offences."

The Conservatives propose removing 750,000 illegal immigrants from the UK within five years and would ban people who enter without permission from claiming asylum. The plan would prevent rejected claimants from challenging decisions in the courts, shifting appeals to Home Office officials. Border staff would be instructed to remove people "within hours or at most a few days" and the immigration enforcement unit would be rebranded as a Removals Force with funding doubled to 1.6bn pounds annually plus an extra 820m claimed to be unlocked by closing asylum hotels. The proposals include a mandate to remove at least 150,000 people per year, covering current illegal residents, future illegal arrivals and foreign nationals convicted of crimes more serious than minor traffic offences, and include a pledge to leave the European Convention on Human Rights to limit asylum appeals.

Read at www.bbc.com