Labour is prepared to strike a deal with Brussels that would see the UK take a quota of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader indicated he could be prepared to hand Britain’s immigration control to the European Union (EU), for the ability to return people who cross the English Channel.
He insisted that his focus was on ensuring that an anti-terrorism style international crackdown could smash the gangs behind the “vile” trade, preventing people leaving in small boats from France in the first place.
Sir Keir made the comments ahead of visiting The Hague, in the Netherlands on Thursday, for talks with the EU’s Europol law enforcement agency over the small boats crisis.
Deepening intelligence ties with Europe as part of a new post-Brexit security pact and strengthening powers to restrict the movement of those suspected of organised immigration crime would form part of Sir Keir’s plan.
But the Tories seized on the suggestion that he would be prepared to negotiate with Brussels on the possibility of accepting a migrant quota as part of an EU-wide returns deal for people crossing the Channel.
Gangs in Control
But Sir Keir argued that under the Tories “we are not deciding, as a country, who is coming to the UK—the gangs are deciding.”As part of its plans, Labour says it would work to reach a new agreement to share real-time intelligence with the EU similar to the Schengen Information System II, a database of terror suspects and immigration offenders which the UK had automatic access to before Brexit.
The party has also vowed to strengthen powers to restrict the movement of people smugglers by making it quicker and easier to obtain civil orders, known as serious crime prevention orders, which are used to target offenders such as terrorists and drug traffickers.
More British officers would be stationed in Europe under the plans, with a “cross-border police force” focused solely on disrupting criminal gangs, Labour said.
In an interview with the Times of London newspaper, Sir Keir said he would also seek an EU-wide returns agreement for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain, which may involve a “quid pro quo” of accepting quotas of migrants from the bloc.
“That would be part of any discussions and negotiations with Europe,” he told the newspaper.
He would not be drawn on the number of asylum seekers he would be happy to take in under a deal with the EU.
Terrorists
The Labour leader told ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” his main aim was ensuring that people did not make it across the Channel in the first place.“The first stage is: how do you work with police forces across countries to ensure that you stop people getting into the boats in the first place, and smash this vile trade?
“And that is about working here in Europol, working across Europe, to ensure that the criminals are brought down, that they are treated in the same way that we treat terrorists. So that’s stage one.
“The question of whether people can then be returned only applies if people are still getting across the Channel, and what I want to do is to stop this trade, stop this vile business in the first place.”
On Times Radio, he added: “Under Labour, we get in control of this situation.
“At the moment we’ve got the appalling situation where we are not deciding, as a country, who’s coming to the UK–the gangs are deciding. That is fundamentally wrong.”
Funding for the measures would be redirected from the government’s plan to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda, which is currently held up in the courts following a series of legal challenges.
Responding to Sir Keir’s plans, the Home Secretary said: “He’ll let Brussels decide who comes to the UK.
“He’ll agree to make Britain the dumping ground for many of the millions of illegal migrants that Europe doesn’t want. And none of this will stop the boats.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Times Radio: “It’s no surprise that Sir Keir Starmer wants to give up control of our immigration policy to the EU and let them decide what quotas we have to take.
“We’re very clear we need to have a strong deterrent. That’s why we put in place the Rwanda policy.”
Dissatisfaction
Taking a hard-line stance on immigration crime will be seen as important to convince swing voters that Labour can be trusted to stem the number of Channel crossings, which has reached more than 23,000 so far this year.According to Ipsos-led Immigration Attitudes Tracker survey, 66 percent of those surveyed in England, Scotland and Wales, said they weren’t happy with how ministers dealt with asylum cases here.
The level is the highest it has been since 2015 when the survey began, and the latest figure is up from a low of 41 percent in 2020.
The dissatisfaction is on both sides of the political divide but for different reasons, according to think tank British Future, which commissioned the research.
Among Conservative supporters, 56 percent are dissatisfied, while just over a fifth—22 percent— said they are satisfied with the government’s handling of the issue.
While among Labour supporters, almost three-quarters, a total of 73 percent, are dissatisfied, while just 8 percent are satisfied.
Sir Keir’s meeting with Europol officials comes ahead of a trip to Montreal, Canada, for a summit of “progressive” politicians.
Reports suggest he is also set to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris next week.
