Labour hands illegal immigrants £60m to fight asylum claims
The Ministry of Justice has announced that the fees paid to lawyers to represent migrants fighting to stay in Britain will go up by 30 per cent.
The direct costs to the taxpayer will rise from £47 million a year to £61 million.
Ministers said the move was necessary to clear the 90,000-strong backlog of asylum claims and end the use of hotels to house migrants.
It comes just a day after the 20,000 mark for small boat arrivals was breached at a record early point in the year.
'Soft touch of Britain'
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Yet again, Labour is showing their true colours. On the side of illegal immigrants, not the British people.
'Having removed our deterrent on day one, since then they have done everything in their power to make Britain the soft touch of Europe on migration. This will just make it even more attractive to illegally arrive in the UK.
'They said they would smash the gangs, but all they are doing is helping them smash small boat records.'
He added: 'These parasitic lawyers help illegal immigrants manufacture bogus asylum, human rights and modern slavery claims and now they're going to be given even more taxpayers' hard-earned money.
'Labour is more interested in rewarding those who enable illegal immigration than protecting our borders. No wonder 2025 so far has been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the channel.'
The 30 per cent uprating will be the first time the funding has been raised since it was set in 2006, based on hourly rates established in 1996.
In recent years concerns have been raised over the shrinking pool of firms who are prepared to take on legal aid work given the rates paid for it.
Sarah Sackman, the justice minister, said the extra investment 'will help us support the immigration system' and clear the asylum backlog.
Announcing the reforms, she said: 'In immigration, the new government is serious and ambitious about ending hotel use and increasing returns.
'This can only be done with the support of legal aid professionals, which is why supporting the capacity of the sector is crucial.'
But the change is likely to prove controversial, given that it comes against the backdrop of a series of highly controversial immigration decisions.
The Telegraph has revealed a string of cases where asylum seekers have been able to thwart deportation by relying on human rights laws.
In one recent judgment a Pakistani criminal was allowed to stay in the UK after a judge ruled that his deportation would damage his son's mental health.
Another saw an asylum seeker from Tajikistan granted the right to remain because he would have had to shave his beard off if he was deported.
Migrant legal aid is largely restricted to asylum seekers and can fund cases involving fighting detention and deportation as well as accommodation claims.
It is also used in cases involving migrant victims of domestic violence and modern slavery.
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