Home Office officials were instructed to look into the feasibility of transferring asylum seekers arriving in the UK to a centre on Ascension Island, a British overseas territory, according to the Financial Times. Another option said to have been considered was to construct an asylum centre on St Helena, another island in the group where Napoleon was exiled after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. The Foreign Office was consulted on the proposals, according to the paper, and provided an assessment on the practicalities of shipping migrants to such remote locations. A Home Office official said: "The UK has a long and proud history of offering refuge to those who need protection. Moving asylum seekers there and keeping them supplied was said to represent a considerable logistical challenge.

Source: Daily Mirror September 29, 2020 21:45 UTC