Priti Patel urged to justify claim that most boat migrants are not real refugees

Peers question home secretary's basis for saying 70% of people on small boats are economic migrants'

There are calls for Priti Patel to withdraw or justify claims she made before parliament that most people who travel to the UK in small boats are not genuine asylum seekers.

Two Labour peers, David Blunkett and Shami Chakrabarti, have also questioned whether the home secretary has evidence that backs her claim that 70% of individuals on small boats are single men who are effectively economic migrants".