‘The only way to stop people being forced into the hands of people smugglers is to introduce safe routes for people to seek safety in the UK.’
Keir Starmer has faced criticism for ‘dancing to Farage’s tune’ after his announcement on small boat crossings.
The prime minister said that he was ‘angry’ about illegal migration and argued that it should be tackled in the same way as terrorism.
During his speech at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London yesterday, he highlighted that, since July, the government has deported more than 24,000 individuals with ‘no right to be in the UK’.
Starmer said people smugglers have exploited “fragmented” policing, border force and intelligence agencies to smuggle thousands of illegal migrants into the UK.
“The truth is, we can only smash these [smuggler] gangs once and for all if we work together,” he said.
In a post on X, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer criticised Starmer’s focus on ‘cracking down’ on small boats, arguing: “The only way smugglers is to introduce safe routes for people to seek safety in the UK.
“@Keir_Starmer knows this – but instead of making this life saving change, he’s choosing to dance to Nigel Farage’s tune. Shameful.”
Before the election last year, Starmer was asked by a journalist if he would increase the number of safe routes for migrants.
His response was: “I don’t think safe routes is the answer to the vile trade that’s being run to put people into small boats.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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