Conservative response to Labour’s immigration announcement

Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said:

“The government's plan to ‘smash the gangs' already lies in tatters.  We are about to see 30,000 illegal channel crossings since election reached this week, a 31% increase. This year so far has been the worst on record. This is a direct consequence of the government cancelling the Rwanda deterrent before it even started.

“Other countries, including Germany, Italy and the even the European Commission are looking at offshore processing as a deterrent, but Starmer's Labour government has gone in the opposite direction. He has lost control of our borders as a result.

“Today's conference will make no difference to that – as the NCAA themselves said, law enforcement alone cannot stop illegal immigration. You need a removals deterrent. And Yvette Cooper admitted yesterday that the government is simply crossing its fingers and praying for bad weather to stop illegal migration across the channel. That is not a plan.”