Every day now, there is more news about record numbers of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. The only thing that sometimes slows them down is bad weather and strong winds.
Instead of celebrating a new daily record, people across Britain are feeling fed up and worried. What started as a serious promise to “smash the gangs” who bring migrants over illegally now feels more like we’re just “smashing records” for how many people arrive.
On one recent day, over 700 people crossed the Channel and landed on UK shores. In response, Mike Tapp, Labour’s representative for Dover, went down to the harbour to talk about new laws giving stronger powers to stop illegal immigration. However, these powers aren’t active yet, and his speech didn’t seem to offer much hope. It felt a bit like standing on the beach and ordering the sea to stop coming in — a lot of talk, but no real effect.
Looking ahead, it’s predicted that more than 60,000 people could arrive by small boat this year alone. This has left many Labour MPs wondering why their party didn’t come up with a solid plan before the election, instead of just using catchy slogans.
Now, Labour ministers are under pressure to act. They can’t just talk anymore — they need real ideas. Because of this, they are now considering something that would have been unthinkable for them a year ago: sending some migrants to a third country.
Reports suggest Labour has asked for support from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to create what they are calling “Migrant Hubs.” These hubs would be set up in another country, possibly somewhere in the Western Balkans, like Albania.
The idea is that failed asylum seekers — people who have already had their claims and appeals rejected — could be moved to these hubs if they can’t be sent back to their home country.
Some people have compared this plan to the controversial Rwanda Plan proposed by the Conservatives. But Labour’s version would only apply to people who have no legal right to stay in the UK anymore after losing every appeal.
This, however, opens the door for lots of legal battles. Human rights lawyers could delay deportations for months, arguing for all kinds of rights, even over small details.
Another big problem is that many migrants come from countries where most asylum claims are successful. For example, over 90% of Afghans who apply for asylum in the UK are granted it. So for many of them, a Migrant Hub plan won’t be a deterrent — because they will win their cases and stay.
This is why the original Rwanda Plan took a different approach. It targeted people who had travelled through safe European countries before reaching the UK but still chose to come illegally. Under that plan, these people could be sent to Rwanda whether they had applied for asylum yet or not. The point was to break the link between paying smugglers and getting into the UK.
Supporters of the Rwanda Plan argue that without this tough step, the cycle of illegal crossings will continue. They also say that offering so-called “Safe and Legal Routes” sounds good, but it’s impossible for the UK to offer homes to millions of displaced people from around the world.
There’s also a question about how long migrants would stay at these hubs. Labour’s new plan seems to suggest it would only be temporary migrants would stay there until they could be sent back home. But in cases like Syria, where it may not be safe to return for many years, what happens when the time limit expires? Would these people eventually come back to Britain?
In contrast, the Rwanda Plan made it clear: once you were sent to Rwanda, you would settle there permanently.
The truth is, Labour ministers are starting to think differently about immigration. They know they can’t just rely on slogans anymore. But inside the Labour Party, many MPs still don’t seem ready to accept that solving the small boats crisis will mean making hard decisions, not just saying the right things.
The pressure on Labour is growing. The public is losing patience, and the summer, with its calmer seas, is just around the corner — likely bringing even more crossings.
