Indian illegal migrants face ‘accelerated’ deportations under new deal
About 250 Indians travelled across the Channel in small boats so far this year, the third highest nationality of 1,180 arrivals. The Home Office said a new deal between London and New Delhi will see Indian nationals “with no right to stay” face swift deportations. Migrants from Albania, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq are typically the largest groups recorded by immigration officials.
No Indians crossed the Channel in 2018 or 2019. And Home Office figures show just 64 arrived in 2020 and 67 in 2021.
One Home Office official believes Indian students are exploiting a loophole that allows them to attend UK universities at lower prices.
They are able to study for a degree and pay domestic fees, which are currently capped at £9,250, while their applications for asylum are processed.
A figure from the Home Office said: “We’ve seen a spike of Indian nationals coming across in small boats over the last few months. It’s a bit of a mystery.
“The worry is that this is a longer-term trend with all the implications that holds of illegal migration from a country of more than one billion people.”
A Government spokesman said: “The global migration crisis continues to place an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.
“Our migration deal with India aims to enhance and accelerate the removal of Indian nationals with no right to stay in the UK, and secure greater cooperation around organised immigration crime.”
Taxpayers fork out £6.8million a day to put up 35,000 people awaiting deportation.
