Current rules create "perverse incentives" to put under-18s on small boats, the Home Office said.

Children could be deported as part of Shabana Mahmood’s immigration crackdown, it has emerged.

A 33-page document published by the Home Office setting out the government’s plans says current rules create “perverse incentives” to put under-18s on small boats.

That is because the UK does not “prioritise” the deportation of families, even if their asylum claims have been rejected.

“As a result, many families of failed asylum seekers continue to live in this country, receiving free accommodation and financial support, for years on end,” the Home Office document said.

The revelation is set to further anger Labour MPs who are already opposed to Mahmood’s shake-up of the asylum system.

“Our hesitancy around returning families creates particularly perverse........

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