More migrants arrive in Kent and Italy as EU diplomats dismiss Keir Starmer’s ‘deluded’ Channel boats plan for sending asylum seekers back – saying the bloc’s system is already ‘broken’ by numbers arriving
More migrants were pictured arriving in Kent and Italy today as EU diplomats dismissed Keir Starmer‘s ‘delusional’ plan for a migrants return deal.
Brussels sources pointed out that the bloc’s internal negotiations over a burden-sharing deal had been going for seven years with ‘no end in sight’.
As small boats were seen being brought ashore in Dover and the island of Lampedusa, the Labour leader was warned there is no chance the EU will ‘rescue’ the UK.
The blunt response came after Sir Keir finally set out his proposals for addressing the small boats issue during a trip to The Hague.
He confirmed he was willing to discuss taking an annual quota of asylum seekers in return for a returns agreement that would allow Britain to send back some Channel migrants.
But during a round of interviews to promote his blueprint, Sir Keir refused to say how many asylum seekers he would be willing to accept, insisting it would be a matter for negotiation.
Rishi Sunak said the final figure could top 100,000 a year if calculated on a per capita basis.
A group of Channel migrants are brought ashore by the Border Force in Kent today
Migrants are brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa today, which has been struggling to cope with the numbers taking advantage of good weather to cross the Med
Keir Starmer finally set out his proposals for addressing the small boats issue during a trip to The Hague yesterday
However, EU diplomats told The Times that the plan would not come to fruition.
‘The EU’s asylum system is broken, internal negotiations have now dragged on for more than seven years without an end in sight,’ one said.
‘There is absolutely no question of helping the UK until we have put our own house in order.
‘Starmer is deluded if he thinks that European governments, who are under much more pressure on asylum and migration than Britain, are going to come to his rescue.’
Labour insists its Channel crisis plans are focused on stopping boats coming in the first place, and a returns deal is not essential.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Sir Keir of turning the UK into a ‘dumping ground’ for the EU’s migrants. ‘He’ll let Brussels decide who comes to the UK,’ she said.
‘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.’
Speaking to reporters during a visit in Devon, the PM also condemned the idea.
‘His plans seem to amount to saying we might one day accept 100,000 EU migrants every year. That doesn’t seem like a credible plan to me to stop the boats,’ Mr Sunak said.
Migrants being brought to shore on the Italian island of Lampedusa today
A Border Force vessel sen bringing people ashore in Dover, Kent today
Rishi Sunak said Sir Keir’s plan could mean the UK taking 100,000 asylum seekers a year from the EU
Sir Keir insisted that closer co-operation with Brussels on the small boats crisis would mean ‘taking back control of a situation the Government has totally lost control of’.
He added: ‘It ought to be the Government who decides who comes here but it is the gangs.’
He pledged to smash the ‘vile’ people smuggling cartels and said it was nonsense to suggest Labour would let in 100,000 asylum seekers a year.
‘There is a difference between the burden that is there as an EU member and the arrangements we would make as a third country,’ he said. Sir Keir denied his plans were a first step towards reversing Brexit, saying there was ‘no case for going back in the EU’.