are government pledges on track?

The prime minister has made tackling illegal immigration and “restoring order” to the asylum system a priority for the government.

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “smash the gangs”. It follows predecessor Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats”.

Yet small boat crossings have reached record levels for this point in the year – with nearly 1,200 migrants arriving this way on 31 May.

BBC Verify looks at key government pledges – from ending the use of asylum hotels to returning more failed asylum seekers.

Labour promised to “end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds” in its general election manifesto.

The government wants to fulfil this pledge by the end of this Parliament – meaning by 2029, unless an early…