waiting more than six months. the fast track system includes asylum seekers from afghanistan, eritrea, libya, syria and yemen, some of whom will have arrived on small boats across the channel. decisions will be made on the basis of a ten page questionnaire, which must be completed in english. however, having previously stressed the importance of in person interviews, the home office is likely to face criticism that the fast tracking has more to do with the prime minister s promise to eradicate the backlog than having rigorous checks for identifying individuals with no right to be in the uk. the policy seems at odds with the home secretary s stated aim to swiftly deport asylum seekers who arrive by an irregular route. we need to ensure that we fix this problem of illegal migration. that s my priority. and, as the prime minister himself has said, he ll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. we ve had a5,000 people last year arrive here illegally on small boats. that situation is unac
that s my priority. and, as the prime minister himself has said, he ll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. we ve had a5,000 people last year arrive here illegally on small boats. that situation is unacceptable. we need to design a robust framework. we need to have a deterrent so people stop making the journey in the first place. it appears, however, that downing street s determination to sort out the asylum backlog means making it simplerfor some small boat migrants to get permission to stay in the uk. mark easton, bbc news. the labour leader sir keir starmer has laid out five missions or pledges to voters if his party wins the next general election. in a speech in manchester, he said he would aim to make the uk the highest growth economy among the g7 countries by the end of labour s first term. he also wants to make britain a clean energy superpower and cut health inequalities. our political correspondent