Migrant summit LIVE: Keir Starmer makes migration announcement at major press conference
Keir Starmer has admitted the British people are “right” to be angry over the scale of illegal immigration. The Prime Minister admitted he knows people are sceptical about his plans, but insisted he can end the Channel migrant crisis. He will defend his plan to stop small boat crossings after a record number of arrivals in the first three months.
The Prime Minister will open an Organised Immigration Crime summit in London today, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also set to speak. More than 6,600 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, up 31% on last year.
He wrote in a national newspaper column: “I opposed the Tories’ Rwanda scheme not just because it was a gimmick designed to sound tough and get headlines. But because it was a hollow pledge to working people which had no prospect of ever being fulfilled. A slogan isn’t a solution. Instead, it undermines trust in mainstream politics as a force for good.
“I know some of you will read this with scepticism and assume that nothing can or will be done. I am determined to prove the opposite. I accept my approach is not glamorous but it’s how I do business: sleeves rolled up, getting the details right, doing the hard graft.
“We’re pulling every possible lever, from the supply chain for small boats to illicit finance and social media – with Meta, X and TikTok all joining the summit today. Already our new approach is delivering results. France has said it wants to change its rules so law enforcement officers can deal with small boats in shallow waters.
“Germany will strengthen its laws against those who facilitate smuggling to the UK, so we can break into warehouses storing boat parts. A joint taskforce with Italy is hitting smugglers’ finances. This collaborative approach is transforming border security at home. We inherited the most extraordinary disconnect between policing, our Border Force and our intelligence agencies. I was shocked.”
