More than £300 million to be spent on new detention centres for 1,000 Channel migrants | Politics | News
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More than £300 million is to be spent on new detention centres for 1,000 Channel migrants.
The Home Office is seeking contractors to operate three new immigration removal centres (IRCs).
The contracts, valued at £306 millon, will run for up to six years, official documents show.
They say that extra space is required due to the large number of migrants making the perilous journey from France in small boats.
The sites will also be used to hold foreign criminals facing deportation.
The Home Office paperwork, reported by the Daily Mail, states: “Due to the unprecedented rise of small boat crossings in recent years, demand on the IRC estate has increased and there is a requirement for the expansion of its capacity.
“This notice covers the procurement of operational services for an additional circa 1,000 detention spaces across three sites.
“Alternative accommodation solutions are also being explored and, if approved, may lead to further demand for operational services.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping small boats one of his top five priorities.
More than 17,000 people have made the dangerous journey so far this year.