Report

Asylum management centres – a new approach to reduce small boat crossings

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum calls on government to set up new asylum management centres in France to divert asylum seekers into safe routes.

With rising small boat arrivals and a dysfunctional asylum system, the government faces growing pressure to demonstrate control at the border. But achieving a significant and permanent fall in channel crossings must be grounded in what works and guided by the UK’s commitments under international law.

The Biden administration showed how this approach can work in practice, combining effective cooperation with Mexico on enforcement with access to pre-arrival processing and safe, legal routes – leading to a drop of over 90% in irregular border crossings for some nationalities.

Asylum Management Centres: A new approach to tackle small boat crossings proposes a similar strategy in the channel. Written by Senior Policy Associate and former Yvette Cooper advisor Beth Gardiner-Smith and Policy Associate Emily Graham, the report calls on government to set up new ‘Asylum Management Centres’ in France to divert asylum seekers into safe, legal routes and reduce dangerous small boat crossings.