The center, at a former RAF base, will be based in asylum camps set up in Greece, where migrants face routine controls on their movements and are barred from leaving. City councils will also receive extra money to disperse asylum seekers as the government tries to move away from their hotel accommodation. Announcing the plans, Mr Johnson said: “Before Christmas, 27 people drowned – and in the coming weeks, there may be many more who will die at sea and whose bodies may never be recovered. “I accept that these people – whether 600 or 1,000 – are looking for a better life, the opportunities that the UK provides and the hope for a new beginning. “But these hopes, these dreams are what have been exploited.” The announcement comes after Johnson appointed David Kanzini, a militant election general, in February in the wake of disastrous revelations about parties on Downing Street. Home Office officials are said to be preparing for a major backlash against the plans, but will insist the UK will be better able to support those fleeing actual persecution by preventing illegal entry. Britain and other European countries have in the past been accused of “double standards” in the treatment of Ukrainian refugees compared to those in the Middle East.
