THE Home Secretary has vowed to set up a “firm and fair” asylum system after claiming the UK’s current method is “fundamentally broken”.

Priti Patel made the promise during her speech at the Conservative Party’s virtual conference at the weekend.

The Witham MP told fellow Tory members she was committed to delivering the “biggest overhaul of the asylum system in decades”.

It came after a week of speculation surrounding Ms Patel’s plans to change the way in which asylum seekers are dealt with in the UK.

Among the changes reportedly considered by the Home Secretary were setting up an asylum processing centre on an island 4,000 miles away in the Pacific and using decommissioned ferries as temporary accommodation for people seeking asylum.

Ms Patel did not refer to either of the proposals during her speech but instead took aim at previous governments for creating a “broken system”.

She said: “I will introduce a new system that is firm and fair.

“Fair and compassionate towards those who need our help. Fair by welcoming people through safe and legal routes.

“But firm because we will stop the abuse of the broken system.

“Firm, because we will stop those who come here illegally making endless legal claims to remain.

“And firm, because we will expedite the removal of those who have no claim for protection.

“After decades of inaction by successive governments, we will address the moral, legal, practical problems with this broken system. Because what exists now is neither firm nor fair.

“And I will bring forward legislation to deliver on that commitment. I will take every necessary step to fix this broken system, amounting to the biggest overhaul of our asylum system in decades.”

The speech was criticised by Labour and a host of not-for-profit groups.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “The British people will see through the Home Secretary’s shameless comments about a broken system when the system has been overseen by the Tories for a decade. This is yet more evidence of how lacking in compassion and competence the Tories are.”

Amnesty UK director Kate Allen called the plans “nonsensical” and called for more efforts to be made on “providing sanctuary”.

Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said: “Like the Home Secretary, we want to see a more compassionate asylum system.

“Huge backlogs in the processing of asylum claims mean many people are left in limbo, unable to work and living in destitution, for months, if not years.

“But this compassion needs to be applied to anyone arriving in the UK in search of safety.”