It’s time to stop the Tories, not stop the boats

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Treating asylum seekers as criminals to be imprisoned is far costlier than treating them like human beings deserving of compassion (AFP/Getty)

At the beginning of a week which will end with two strike days by consultants fighting for a wage that matches their responsibilities, comes the news that home secretary Suella Braverman is planning to spend £360m on new detention centres designed to accommodate 1,000 asylum seekers.

This is in addition to the £480m the government pledged to fund the Anglo-French initiative to “stop the boats”, the £140m spent on the camp for asylum seekers in Rwanda and the £3m squandered on the Legionella-infested barge for asylum seekers, the Bibby Stockholm.

Treating asylum seekers as criminals to be imprisoned is far costlier than treating them like human beings deserving of compassion.