Labour minister admits he'd prefer Britain's hotels 'full of tourists' after eye-watering migrant costs revealed: 'There is no silver bullet'

The minister expressed his preference for hotels to be used for tourism rather than housing asylum seekers, stating: "I would prefer it if every single hotel in the UK was being used for tourists, international visitors, spending money, rather than in the way that it has had to be over the last few years."

Bryant outlined the Government's multi-pronged strategy to tackle the crisis, revealing that 30,000 people without the right to remain in the UK had been deported in the past year.

"We've deported more than in any other year. So far as I'm aware, I think it's 30,000 in the last year. We've done a phenomenal job on that," he said.

Bryant highlighted the importance of processing asylum claims more quickly, noting that the Government had inherited a backlog of 138,000 cases. He contrasted this with 2010, when there was "hardly a backlog at all".

"We need to process people faster. We need to get people out, and we've got to crack the gangs," Bryant stated.

The minister called for enhanced powers to combat trafficking gangs, comparing the necessary measures to anti-terrorism legislation.

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"I think that we need more terrorism [legislation], the equivalent of terrorism powers, really, to be able to deal with some of the gangs that we're talking about who are engaged in a filthy and disgusting practice of trafficking people across Europe," Bryant said.

He emphasised that the problem extends beyond the UK-France border, stating: "It doesn't start, I would argue, just at the border with France, it starts a long way before that."

Bryant stressed the importance of international cooperation, saying: "We need to do it in cooperation, not only with the French, but with all our other countries in Europe."

Bryant linked the migration crisis to broader global challenges, including armed conflicts and famine, driving population movements.

"It would also help if we managed to make sure that there weren't wars and famine in other countries, which are driving this migration pattern," he said.

The minister warned that climate change could significantly worsen future migration pressures.

"I would also argue that we need to tackle climate change because there is a real danger that in future years, we will see people, I mean, many more millions of people moving simply because they cannot scratch a living on land that has been degraded by climate change," Bryant stated.

He concluded: "So it's a whole package here that we need to deliver."