Keir Starmer has pledged to treat people smugglers “like terrorists” as he hosts an international summit in London to tackle the small boats crisis. The Prime Minister told leaders from 40 countries at Lancaster House: “There has never been a bigger gathering of people on this issue, building a truly international effort to defeat organised immigration crime.”
The Labour leader revealed his government has removed 24,000 people with no right to be in Britain since taking office last July, with a 21% increase in enforced returns and 16% more foreign national offenders deported. However, Reform UK’s Lee Anderson blasted these figures, pointing out most removals were voluntary rather than enforced.
Anderson condemned Labour’s record as a “national crisis”, with over 30,000 Channel crossings since Starmer entered Downing Street – including more than 5,000 in the past three months alone. The cost of housing asylum seekers has reached £14 billion annually, including £3,000 per day spent on new clothes and shoes for migrants.
Nigel Farage mocked Starmer’s efforts, saying: “He promised to smash the gangs, but he’s smashing Rishi Sunak’s record instead.” The Reform UK chief whip outlined his party’s tougher alternative approach – freezing non-essential immigration, deporting foreign criminals and removing all illegal entrants.
Starmer insisted his government was taking serious action after years of the UK being “a soft touch”, vowing: “No more gimmicks, no empty promises.” The two-day summit continues as Britain seeks greater international cooperation to combat people smuggling networks behind the Channel crossings.
