If they resorted to crossing by Dinghy rather than applying through a processing centre then we would be in our rights to turn them back (this is the assumption that the Australians use) .
They are not ''illegal'' until they have had their application heard and denied. Over 80% are found to be genuine asylum seekers (Under the criteria listed in the UN Refugee Convention of 1951) ... this increases to close to 85% on appeal.
So the actual numbers which are illegal is very small and they should be deported as soon as a decision is reached. However because the Tories slashed the number of case workers there is now a huge backlog and it is taking up to 2 years for an initial decision , this is why they are having to be housed in hotel accommodation at the tax payers expense. There is also a shortage of Return officers.
The UK has the second highest backlog of asylum applications (behind Germany) in Europe despite the UK receiving one of the lowest number of applications in Europe (19th out of 27)
An asylum applicant receives a daily allowance of £1.27 a day . From this they are expected to buy clothes and toiletries, its hardly a fortune compared to the £87.1 billion committed by the Tories to defence by 2030
This briefing note examines what we know about the UK’s asylum backlog, its causes, and its consequences.
migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk
The small boat crossings are not really the major problem that is being reported on MSM and in the press