Jonathan Ashworth responds to more than 40,000 people crossing the Channel since Sunak pledged to 'stop the boats'

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's Shadow Paymaster General, responding to the news that more than 40,000 people have now crossed the Channel since Rishi Sunak pledged to 'stop the boats', said:

"Another bare-faced lie from Rishi Sunak has been exposed. Last night, he told the British people that the number of small boat arrivals were coming down. But today, we have confirmation from the Home Office itself that small boat arrivals so far in 2024 are at a record high, running more than 40 per cent higher than last year.

"Even worse, we now know that – when Rishi Sunak promised the British people that he would stop the boats – he was telling another lie. Exactly 18 months on from that day, 40,000 people have now made the crossing, while he has sat on his hands doing nothing to take on the smuggling gangs.

“Rishi Sunak has become a desperate liar.

"If a Labour government is elected on 4 July, we will take the action required to tackle this chaos. Our new Border Security Command will put to work hundreds of new specialist investigators, officers and prosecutors, using tough new counter-terror powers to smash the gangs making millions from this evil trade."

Ends

Notes:

• The Home Office have confirmed that 234 people crossed the Channel on small boats on Tuesday 4th June, taking the total for 2024 up to 10,745, 41.2 per cent more than up to the same point last year (7,610), and 7.6 per cent more than the previous record year in 2022 (9,984).

• Yesterday's arrivals also take the total number since Rishi Sunak pledged to 'stop the boats' on 4 January 2023above 40,000 (40,138), and the total number to arrive since the small boats crisis started in 2018 above 125,000(125,067).

• This year's record figures for small boat traffic look even worse if we take into account the number of people rescued by the French authorities after getting into difficulty early in their journey. As of 4 June, 1,894 people have been taken back to the French coast after attempting to cross the Channel, 63.5 per cent more than were rescued over the same period last year (1,158).

• Figures for the number of small boat arrivals can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats

• Figures for rescues on the French side of the Channel can be found here:

https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/

Labour's five-point plan to reform the asylum system:

1. Create a new elite Border Security Command, staffed by hundreds of specialist investigators, intelligence agents, and cross-border police officers to smash the gangs upstream

A Labour government will create a new elite Border Security Command, modelled on the Office for Security andCounter-Terrorism set up by the last Labour government, to overhaul the government's approach to national security.

This will see the installation of a new Border Security Command – a former police, military or intelligence chief – and reporting directly to the Home Secretary, the new Command will direct work across key intelligence and enforcement agencies with a single aim of ensuring a strong, protected border. The operation will put hundreds of new specialist investigators, intelligence agents and cross-border police officers, who will support the Border Security Command unit and work across the UK and Europe, split across multiple agencies, including the National Crime Agency, MI5, Border Force, CPS International and Immigration Enforcement.

Labour will also seek to negotiate a new security agreement with Europe, including a replacement to SIS-II, to allow for the real-time sharing of intelligence on people smuggling suspects. To fund this, Labour would redirect spending from the unworkable Rwanda scheme, which the government has admitted is subject to a very high risk of fraud.

2. End hotel use, clear the Tory asylum backlog, and speed up returns to safe countries

Labour will save the taxpayer billions by ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers within 12 months and setting up a new returns unit for safe countries. Labour will recruit over 1,000 Home Office caseworkers to clear the record Tory asylum backlog, and a further 1,000 staff for a new returns unit so that those who do not have a right to stay here can be quickly removed, and we end the use of costly hotels at the taxpayers' expense. Labour will fast track decisions on applications from safe countries, like India and Albania, which are unlikely to be granted; and establish a new returns unit to reverse the 44% collapse in asylum removals that the Tory Government has overseen since 2010.

3. Reform resettlement routes to stop people being exploited by gangs

Labour would redesign the existing resettlement schemes which are not currently working properly so that they include a clearer process for refugees with family connections in the UK to be considered for resettlement, preventing them being exploited by criminal gangs or making dangerous journeys.

4. New agreement with France and other countries on returns and family reunion

Labour would negotiate a new agreement which includes safe returns and safe family reunions for child refugees.

5. Tackle humanitarian crises at source helping refugees in their region

Labour would work in partnership internationally to address some of the humanitarian crises that are leading people to flee their homes including restoring the 0.7% aid commitment when the fiscal situation allows and strengthening support for the people of Afghanistan, currently the largest group trying to cross the Channel.