Priti Patel’s fantasy of sending asylum seekers ‘somewhere else’ is unworkable. But here’s why she’s pushing it anyway

The idea that we can simply ship people away while their claims are assessed is absurd, writes John Rentoul. It is no substitute for an efficient and fair system

Home secretary Priti Patel ordered officials to look into the possibility of building an asylum processing centre on Ascension (EPA)

The home secretary has fallen victim to the affliction of anti-immigration politicians through the ages: Why can’t we send asylum seekers far away while we decide what to do with them?

The affliction starts off with quite short distances. In 2003, Oliver Letwin, who was then shadow home secretary, proposed to detain asylum seekers in prison ships moored off the coast.  

Then various Australian governments started taking people claiming refugee status to detention centres on Christmas Island and Nauru.