Andy Burnham’s suggestion affluent areas of Britain should be forced to house more asylum seekers is one of the most reckless interventions made during the Channel crisis.
No community deserves to have hundreds of unvetted young men, from culturally distant nations, dropped on their doorstep.
For nearly a decade, Whitehall mandarins have been playing fast and loose with the safety of the British public by refusing to invest in the immigration detention estate and instead have given illegal migrants the right to roam around neighbourhoods.
There is no question, thus far, the burden has fallen disproportionately on the shoulders of working-class areas, including Mr Burnham's home of Greater Manchester.
But it will bring little solace to these communities others are now set to suffer a similar fate.
Yesterday, Burnham told GB News we all need to “play our part” to house illegal migrants, as if it were a national endeavour we should all dutifully row in behind.
Besides, we have already been expected to do far more than is morally acceptable.
At a time when the country feels broken almost beyond repair, the Home Office has diverted funds away from investing in healthcare, or infrastructure projects, or (heaven forbid) tax breaks and thrown £17.5billion at the asylum system since 2020/21 – enough to cover the training and lifetime salaries of nearly 10,000 nurses.
It is precisely because Britain has been seen as such a soft touch migrants have been coming here in their droves.
However, Burnham’s inability and unwillingness to understand this basic fact have meant he is now going even further.
The British government is now explicitly telling the thousands of migrants camped up in Normandy this: once you make it across the Channel, not only will you be given free accommodation and support, but you will be housed in some of the most desirable parts of our nation.
This is a direct attack on the interests of the British people and one that will obliterate any residual sense the British state exists to serve the citizens of this United Kingdom.
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You work hard, play by the rules and just about make ends meet – yet the reward for your efforts is to see your taxes go towards helping an Eritrean live in Kensington, or any other affluent area, which you may have dreams of one day moving to.
Add to the fact Burnham’s previous claimed asylum seekers should be given the right to work and newcomers should have immediate access to welfare and social housing, one realises the new occupant of No10 is suffering from a severe bout of suicidal empathy.
This is why the small boats have evolved into mega-dinghies and why we have seen a recent surge in crossings.
The new Prime Minister is the dream recruiting sergeant for the people smugglers; his comments will be exploited to convince even more people to trek up to the northern coast of France and take their arms.
You do not solve this by increasing the incentives: you solve it through the detention and deportation of all illegal migrants.
No ifs or buts.
This is a position now supported by two-thirds of the electorate.
Burnham has now turned his back on these voters and his first major intervention on migration may very well have sunk any chance Labour has of winning the next general election.
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