The government has announced changes to tackle illegal migration (Image: Getty)
Prime Minister is planning changes to the Government’s policy as small boat crossings in the Channel will top 1,000 before the end of January – but Express readers in worry that they don’t go far enough.
Sir Keir has pledged to “smash the gangs” that operate the crossings, and the government will unveil a range of counterterrorism-style measures to target illegal migration. The Border Force will be authorised to stop and search migrants arriving on small boats in the Channel, including personal searches.
Smugglers’ assets and phones can be seized, and data taken from phones will be used to prosecute people suspected of organising the routes.
by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, with plans for five-year prison sentences for those who refuse to be picked up by French authorities in the Channel. Suppliers and handlers of small boat parts could face sentences of up to 14 years.
The new measures are part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, prioritising identifying and capturing the hundreds of criminal gangs believed to be operating the routes.
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Responding to the plans, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “As the National Crime Agency said, an effective removals deterrent is needed to stop the boats, but there is nothing about a returns deterrent for all illegal migrants in Labour’s Bill.
“The Government clearly has no plans to limit the abuse of human rights law or to use the visa sanctions which the previous Conservative Government legislated for – and Labour voted against – to force other countries take back their own nationals with no right to be in the UK.
“They have no credible plan to get illegal Channel crossings down and this is a weak Bill that will not fix the problem.”
that Labour will be the ones to halt the crisis. Commenter Islands says: “So far Labour have been all talk and no do! I suspect this latest announcement will be more of the same. Measures that may slow them down a tiny bit, but will not stop them coming here.”
Reader Chrisbamboo writes: “Starmer would not need to do anything if he got the French police to implement French laws, he would need to go through the proper channels.”
Hughnsemple says: “I’m surprised that everyone arriving on a small boat is not stopped and searched automatically.”
Charleswasdell writes: “This new range of time consuming measures will have little to no effect, when simply turning the boats around would do the job!”
Broony56 writes: “Labour will never smash the trafficking gangs with minor changes like this. They are just playing around and tweaking the law, that will have no effect.”
Davew555 says: “Starmer talks a good game as he has done all his working life, but the truth of the matter is he is all talk and no action.”
Roddavidson writes: “Hold on. We’re letting people out of prison as they are full to breaking point. Now we’re going to jail migrants. Just where exactly?”
Some think that the new Bill will be better than anything the tried. NineFingers writes: “More good work from Labour, they are slowly chipping away at this issue, all these little changes will make a big difference long term! Plus, they are all lawful, so we don’t have to spend millions in taxpayers money fighting the proposed changes in the courts or pay money to them to move to Africa.
“Rwanda was a desperate gimmick, Labour are showing how the law is used to resolve these issues.”
Sywnwilluams writes: “I don’t know how the Shadow Home Secretary has the cheek to criticize Labour’s attempts to stop the boats given the abject failure of the Johnson, Truss and Sunak governments (of which he was a senior member) to reduce illegal immigration.”
Leafspot still has concerns: “I applaud any attempt to try and deter the crossings. My questions are – if migrants face up to five years in prison if they refuse to be rescued in the Channel by the French authorities, in whose prison will they languish? A French prison or handed over to the UK for us to imprison, in which case, they come across the channel anyway.”
Have your say! Is the new migration bill progress on what has come before? .