Borders watchdog warns Rachel Reeves's pledge to end migrant hotels is 'unachievable'

Rachel Reeves's Spending Review earlier this month included an announcement that Labour would end the use of hotels by 2029, which the Chancellor said would save £1billion a year.

However, Bolt, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, admitted there is not enough housing stock to deal with the number of people coming into the asylum system.

When asked if asylum hotels were going to be closed by 2029, he told the committee: "I don’t think it will be achieved, frankly."

He added: "The numbers within asylum system [are] not very tractable. They’re very large numbers and it’s very hard to see how they’re going to be reduced significantly, even over the length of parliament."

Bolt said the focus on "smashing the gangs" by Labour was not the right way to approach the crisis.

He said: "It did seem to me the challenge was to change the risk-reward ratio for those people involved in organised immigration crime.

"That’s really a difficult thing to achieve, because it’s relatively low-cost, relatively low-risk for the perpetrators and highly profitable."

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It comes as a Freedom of Information request has revealed asylum seekers have been told by police not to harass or abuse women.

Officers used a PowerPoint presentation to inform asylum seekers about the key points of "UK culture", including information about women having the same rights as men.

The presentation noted that women "must be treated with respect and courtesy" and "if you harass or abuse any female, you can be arrested".

Northamptonshire Police set up the initiative following complaints from the community and parents over young male asylum seekers loitering near a primary school in the county.

More than 1,000 small boat migrants crossing the English Channel illegally on June 20 and 21.

A GB News producer based in Kent filmed as the Border Force catamaran Ranger arrived in Dover harbour, counting 134 migrants as they were led off the boat.

The crossings mean over 18,000 small boat migrants have made the trip across the Channel so far this year.