[ad_1]
The initial estimate by the Government emerged as more than 10,000 migrants risked their lives on the perilous journey this year alone. Under farcical rules, Border Force is legally required to keep the boats for 12 months in case their owners come forward to claim them under Section 26 of the UK Borders Act 2007 and the Immigration Disposal of Property Regulations 2008.
As they are owned by people smugglers acting illegally this has unsurprisingly never happened.
Despite this, UK taxpayers are still obliged to pay for their safe storage at a fenced-off compound in Dover, Kent, until the period ends – despite it being an obvious waste of money.
Once the year has lapsed, unseaworthy boats are disposed of while ones which can be salvaged are donated to good causes or sold.
The storage of hundreds of boats has increased costs significantly for the taxpayer at the storage depot, sources claimed.
READ MORE: Shetland Islands demand independence and dismisses Indyref2
The Nationality and Borders Bill, which is going through Parliament, will remove this section of the law, making it no longer applicable to “ships or other property”.
Instead, the boats will be sold to raise money for charities or donated to organisations such as the Sea Cadets if they are deemed safe.
Some money raised could go to “recouping the costs of running the asylum system”, a source said.
Peter Bone, the Conservative MP, said that spending £500,000 a year on storing the boats was “a complete waste of money”.
He added: “What people smuggler is going to turn up at the Home Office and say, ‘You’ve got my boat, please can I have it back?’
“Rather than clogging up warehouses costing us half a million a year, let’s sell them off to raise money to charities fighting human trafficking or give them to the RNLI.”
A Home Office official said: “Any boats that may be used as evidence to prosecute vile people smugglers are stored as investigations continue.
“Current legislation also obliges us to keep items for a short period in case an owner wishes to claim them.
“New laws in the Nationality and Borders Bill will enable us to dispose of vessels much quicker or where suitable donate them to worthy causes in the UK.”
[ad_2]
