Ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel has come under-fire yet again after her amendment to Section 25A of the Immigration Act 1971 resulted in a “very low volume” of sentences being dished out in 2022.
Patel, who now serves as Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, unveiled her “New Plan” to “wipe out criminal networks” of people smugglers in 2021 and caused a stir by altering legislation to make it an offence to facilitate the arrival or entry of an asylum seeker into the UK.
The Witham MP had described the switch as bringing about a “fundamental change” needed to curb Channel crossings, adding: “We will bring in tough new sentences, maximum life sentences, for people smugglers, for facilitators.”
However, the Sentencing Council appears to have highlighted the limitations of Patel’s efforts in its consultation on immigration offences.
“The section 25A offence is very low volume,” the Sentencing Council said. “In 2022, fewer than 5 offenders were sentenced.”
The quango, which this week was accused of watering down punishments for illegal immigrants committing immigration-related crime, added: “In the last four years, all offenders received an immediate custodial sentence. Due to the small number of offenders sentenced for this offence each year, the ACSL has been provided for the last five years combined.
“Between 2018 and 2022, the ACSL was three years and 11 months. In the last 11 years, all offenders sentenced to immediate custody received a sentence of eight years or less, after any reduction for guilty plea.”
The Tory Party’s record on both legal and illegal immigration was a core reason behind many voters switching to Reform UK in the 2024 General Election.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage frequently criticises Tory MPs over the issue of border control.
Responding to recent Conservative efforts to alter Labour’s migration legislation, the Clacton MP said: “They had 14 years to deport illegal criminals yet they allowed their numbers to spike and illegal immigration to run wild.”
Sir Keir Starmer also blasted successive Conservative Governments for overseeing an “open borders experiment”, adding: “That’s unforgivable.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Despite net migration figures highlighting legal routes as the single biggest explanation for Britain’s population boom, Channel crossings have spiralled since 2020.
A peak figure of 45,774 was recorded in 2022, with the figure still hitting 36,816 last year.
The total number of illegal migrants who have made the perilous 21-mile journey since 2018 has exceeded 151,161 following a series of large crossing attempts in recent weeks.
In a fresh attack on Patel’s record, Centre for Migration Control’s research director Rob Bates told GB News: “It seems like every sinew of the state is working to harm the quality of life of British people.
“Foreign national offenders should be removed from the country without question, not protected by Sentencing Council gerrymandering.
“The previous Conservative Government clearly failed to clamp down on people smugglers, and the Labour Party are making an absolute mess of the situation.
“Illegal migration can be brought under control by a proper agenda of mass deportations and chucking the ECHR into the nearest possible shredder.
“The time for tinkering around the edges has long since gone, and we now need decisive action.”
A Westminster insider added: “No wonder small boats spiralled under Priti if just five people smugglers were sentenced under her supposedly game-changing legislation.
“Every time she pops up, voters are reminded of her abysmal failure to secure our borders.”
Despite facing fury, Patel has consistently refused to comment on her record on legal and illegal immigration while serving as Home Secretary.
Speaking to GB News during her short-lived leadership bid, the Witham MP said it was “lazy” and “sloppy” to ignore the context behind the net migration surge.
The latest critique of the Tories' illegal immigration record has been pounced on yet again by Reform UK and Labour.
A Reform UK source claimed: “Once again the Tories have failed the British people.
“Their mass immigration experiment has done nothing but damage the British people. Another failed policy by Priti Patel is no surprise, especially considering she refused to apologise for her grave errors.
“Only one party are serious about ending mass immigration and stopping the boats, that’s Reform UK.”
Labour MP Mike Tapp also told the People’s Channel: “This is another nail in the coffin for the Conservatives’ pathetic attempts to control our borders.
“On their watch, net migration skyrocketed to record highs, small boat crossings rose, and more than £700million was wasted on the failed Rwanda scheme.
“Despite all the Conservatives’ attempts to look tough, their crackdown on those helping asylum seekers was an abject failure, with just five offenders sentenced.
“As part of our Plan for Change, this Labour Government is fixing their mess. On our watch, nearly 19,000 people with no right to be here have been removed, with a near 25 per cent increase in enforced returns, and removals of foreign criminals up 21 per cent.“
GB News has approached Patel and the Conservative Party for comment.
Find Out More...
Patel, who now serves as Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, unveiled her “New Plan” to “wipe out criminal networks” of people smugglers in 2021 and caused a stir by altering legislation to make it an offence to facilitate the arrival or entry of an asylum seeker into the UK.
The Witham MP had described the switch as bringing about a “fundamental change” needed to curb Channel crossings, adding: “We will bring in tough new sentences, maximum life sentences, for people smugglers, for facilitators.”
However, the Sentencing Council appears to have highlighted the limitations of Patel’s efforts in its consultation on immigration offences.
“The section 25A offence is very low volume,” the Sentencing Council said. “In 2022, fewer than 5 offenders were sentenced.”
The quango, which this week was accused of watering down punishments for illegal immigrants committing immigration-related crime, added: “In the last four years, all offenders received an immediate custodial sentence. Due to the small number of offenders sentenced for this offence each year, the ACSL has been provided for the last five years combined.
“Between 2018 and 2022, the ACSL was three years and 11 months. In the last 11 years, all offenders sentenced to immediate custody received a sentence of eight years or less, after any reduction for guilty plea.”
The Tory Party’s record on both legal and illegal immigration was a core reason behind many voters switching to Reform UK in the 2024 General Election.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage frequently criticises Tory MPs over the issue of border control.
Responding to recent Conservative efforts to alter Labour’s migration legislation, the Clacton MP said: “They had 14 years to deport illegal criminals yet they allowed their numbers to spike and illegal immigration to run wild.”
Sir Keir Starmer also blasted successive Conservative Governments for overseeing an “open borders experiment”, adding: “That’s unforgivable.”
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Despite net migration figures highlighting legal routes as the single biggest explanation for Britain’s population boom, Channel crossings have spiralled since 2020.
A peak figure of 45,774 was recorded in 2022, with the figure still hitting 36,816 last year.
The total number of illegal migrants who have made the perilous 21-mile journey since 2018 has exceeded 151,161 following a series of large crossing attempts in recent weeks.
In a fresh attack on Patel’s record, Centre for Migration Control’s research director Rob Bates told GB News: “It seems like every sinew of the state is working to harm the quality of life of British people.
“Foreign national offenders should be removed from the country without question, not protected by Sentencing Council gerrymandering.
“The previous Conservative Government clearly failed to clamp down on people smugglers, and the Labour Party are making an absolute mess of the situation.
“Illegal migration can be brought under control by a proper agenda of mass deportations and chucking the ECHR into the nearest possible shredder.
“The time for tinkering around the edges has long since gone, and we now need decisive action.”
A Westminster insider added: “No wonder small boats spiralled under Priti if just five people smugglers were sentenced under her supposedly game-changing legislation.
“Every time she pops up, voters are reminded of her abysmal failure to secure our borders.”
Despite facing fury, Patel has consistently refused to comment on her record on legal and illegal immigration while serving as Home Secretary.
Speaking to GB News during her short-lived leadership bid, the Witham MP said it was “lazy” and “sloppy” to ignore the context behind the net migration surge.
The latest critique of the Tories' illegal immigration record has been pounced on yet again by Reform UK and Labour.
A Reform UK source claimed: “Once again the Tories have failed the British people.
“Their mass immigration experiment has done nothing but damage the British people. Another failed policy by Priti Patel is no surprise, especially considering she refused to apologise for her grave errors.
“Only one party are serious about ending mass immigration and stopping the boats, that’s Reform UK.”
Labour MP Mike Tapp also told the People’s Channel: “This is another nail in the coffin for the Conservatives’ pathetic attempts to control our borders.
“On their watch, net migration skyrocketed to record highs, small boat crossings rose, and more than £700million was wasted on the failed Rwanda scheme.
“Despite all the Conservatives’ attempts to look tough, their crackdown on those helping asylum seekers was an abject failure, with just five offenders sentenced.
“As part of our Plan for Change, this Labour Government is fixing their mess. On our watch, nearly 19,000 people with no right to be here have been removed, with a near 25 per cent increase in enforced returns, and removals of foreign criminals up 21 per cent.“
GB News has approached Patel and the Conservative Party for comment.
Find Out More...