Immigration minister vows to stop 'Hotel Britain'

Migrants to the United Kingdom must be housed in "simple, functional" spaces as opposed to "luxury" hotel rooms to stop the country from being a "destination of choice", Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has said.

The perception of so-called Hotel Britain must end in a bid to disincentivize "asylum shopping", Jenrick said in an article for The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

He said a "chronic shortage of acceptable accommodation" for "record numbers" of migrants has forced the government to use expensive and unsuitable hotels, which have burdened the taxpayer with an "unacceptable" cost.

"Human decency has to be accompanied by hard-headed common sense: illegal immigrants are not entitled to luxury hotels," he said.

"Conditions in the UK are almost always better than in neighboring countries, which helps explain why the UK is a destination of choice for economic migrants on the continent 'asylum shopping'."

He proposed that basic accommodation should be considered, saying this kind of accommodation would remove the "pull factor" that is encouraging those making their way to the UK in small boats.

"Generosity" toward refugees is being "abused" by people "skipping the queue", increasing pressure on the country's immigration system, he added.

More migrants arrived in the UK on Saturday after making the dangerous journey across the English Channel seaway in small boats.

The total number thought to have reached British shores since the start of the year is expected to soon surpass 40,000, reported the Press Association.

The crisis has been in focus in recent weeks as ministers were criticized for allowing overcrowding at a processing center near Dover, southern England.

It was reported that as many as 4,000 people were at one point being held at the Manston site, which is designed to handle just 1,600, though numbers have since fallen within capacity.

Jenrick said a close relationship with France was a vital part of government plans to handle the crisis and to deter those "attempting to cheat the process".

He said: "With greater coordination between our respective security and law enforcement agencies, we can dismantle the evil criminal gangs masterminding these crossings and bring greater order both to our shores and to northern France."

A controversial program of deportations to Rwanda that was proposed by former home secretary Priti Patel, but not yet used, may be expanded and agreements considered with other countries, he added.

The Telegraph noted that nearly one-third of the migrant arrivals to the UK this year are Albanians, accounting for 12,000 so far. It noted that Britain now has a removals agreement with Albania and that it can be treated as a "safe" country.

"Those coming from safe countries such as Albania — whose citizens account for 30 percent of illegal crossings this year — must see that crossing the Channel in small boats is not a path to a life here," said Jenrick.