STOURBRIDGE MP Suzanne Webb has said she "very much welcomes new measures by the Prime Minister to stop illegal crossings of the Channel."
The PM Rishi Sunak has announced a new deal with Albania to fast-track the deportation of migrants from the Balkan state that will help to remove the backlog of nearly 150,000 asylum claims by the end of next year.
Announcing a new plan to tackle illegal immigration in the Commons, the Prime Minister said the deal would see thousands of Albanians removed on weekly flights until the backlog had been ended.
Other measures include: 700 staff for a new unit to monitor small boats crossing the English Channel; a pledge to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers; plans to house 10,000 individuals waiting on claims in disused holiday parks, former student halls, and surplus military sites; the doubling the number of asylum caseworkers; more funding for the National Crime Agency to tackle organised immigration crime in Europe; plans for an annual quota for refugees coming to the UK and new laws, to "make unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally, you should not be able to remain here."
Suzanne said she backs the measures stating: "This is a major area of concern for Stourbridge with people rightly angry about 40,000 people coming here this year from safe countries and through safe countries and the taxpayer picking up the bill.
"I accept this is a complex issue and no one measure will be the silver bullet to solve it.
"We need co-operation and working with the Albanian government to send illegal immigrants back will help.
"Significantly raising the threshold for someone to be referred to the modern slavery system is also welcome.
"This law is being grossly abused.
"But the major card to play here is a change in the law.
"Most people will support legislation making it clear that if someone comes here illegally, they should not be able to remain and they should be quickly detained and removed.
"That is a move I will fully support when it comes before parliament.
"However, this time it must work and not get bogged down in the courts."
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