Boris Johnson considers sending asylum seekers to offshore detention centers in Morocco

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked officials to consider the option of sending asylum seekers to Morocco, among other countries, to be held in offshore detention centers, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

Documents seen by the Guardian showed that the UK Foreign Office (FCO) was asked to «offer advice on possible options for negotiating an offshore asylum processing facility similar».

However, the Foreign Office’s response dismissed the idea. According to the same documents, FCO argued that it «was highly unlikely that Morocco would agree to hosting asylum seekers».

«No north African country, Morocco included, has a fully functioning asylum system», one document read. «Morocco would not have the resources (or the inclination) to pay for a processing center», it added.

A UK government source familiar with migration plans said that the plan was part of a list of new policies that would «discourage» and «deter» migrants from entering the UK illegally.