The UK government plans to house migrants in tents to help deal with any surge of small boats crossing the Channel in the coming months, British media reported on Friday.
The Home Office has bought tents capable of accommodating up to 2,000 migrants and plans to install them in desolate military sites by the end of August, according to media outlets.
This step comes after an increase in the number of immigrants arriving on the coast of southeast England in the summer of last year, which sparked criticism of the government, which was considered unprepared and helpless in front of the size of the task.
On Thursday, the High Court ruled that Britain’s government acted unlawfully when it routinely housed newly arrived unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels.
A child protection charity brought legal action against Britain’s Home Office and local authorities in Kent over their treatment of unaccompanied migrant children, claiming the temporary housing arrangements deny the youngsters the statutory child protection safeguards to which they are entitled.
In this regard, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government has pledged to crack down on asylum-seekers arriving by small boats that make the risky journey across the English Channel from northern France.
On his part, Sunak affirmed that “stopping the boats” is his key priority in office.
