Keir Starmer defends his plan but UK Small Boat Crossings up 20 per cent on Last Year

[Social Media]

 

Keir Starmer has defended his approach to addressing the Channel migrant crisis, even as the number of small boat crossings has risen by 20 percent compared to last year. At the same time, Downing Street has indicated that the Prime Minister is unlikely to accept a request from French mayors to visit their beaches in person.

 

According to the latest figures from the Home Office, 592 migrants arrived in the UK on Sunday after making the perilous journey across the Channel in 11 small boats. This marks the highest single-day total so far in 2025 and brings the overall number of arrivals for the year to 2,716. The figure is 20 percent higher than the 2,255 arrivals recorded at the same point in 2024 but remains 8 percent lower than the 2,953 seen by this time in 2023. Previously, the highest number of arrivals in a single day this year was 260, recorded on January 13.

 

No.10 has pushed back against accusations that the Prime Minister has failed in his pre-election pledge to "smash" the people-smuggling gangs that facilitate these dangerous crossings. A spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer emphasized that there were "no quick fixes" to the issue of illegal migration and stated that Labour had inherited an asylum system "in chaos" from the previous Conservative government.

 

Despite calls from French officials for Sir Keir to personally assess the situation at the beaches where migrants embark on their journeys, Downing Street signaled that this was unlikely. Stephane Pinto, the mayor of Ambleteuse, urged the Prime Minister to "come and look at our beaches," warning that measures needed to be put in place to prevent more deaths. Philippe Mignonet, the deputy mayor of Calais, echoed this sentiment, stating that it was time for Sir Keir to see the situation firsthand.

 

However, when asked whether the Prime Minister would accept the invitation, his official spokesperson pointed to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit to the region last month. "The Home Secretary last week became the first British home secretary to visit the French coast in five years to meet her French counterpart," the spokesperson stated. "They agreed to ramp up our joint efforts to smash people-smuggling gangs."

 

The spokesperson also outlined new measures being implemented as part of an extended agreement with France. These include the creation of a specialist intelligence unit based in Dunkirk, which will focus on tracking and prosecuting people smugglers, as well as a new policing unit equipped with enhanced enforcement powers, modeled after those used during the Paris Olympics. Additionally, more training is being provided for drone pilots to enhance surveillance and intercept boats before they reach the sea.

 

"The Prime Minister will obviously consider the invitations in the usual way, but we are committed to working with France as our closest partner when it comes to tackling illegal migration," the spokesperson said. "We work hand-in-glove every day to tackle these gangs, and we will continue to do so."

In response to concerns that Sir Keir’s plan to curb Channel crossings was not yielding results—particularly given Sunday’s spike in arrivals—his spokesman insisted that the government was taking decisive action. "This government is focused on taking the practical steps to deal with the chaos of the asylum system that we inherited from the previous government," he said.

 

He highlighted several initiatives, including the establishment of the new Border Security Command, an increase in enforcement resources leading to a 24 percent rise in returns, and a 38 percent increase in illegal working arrests. He also noted that the removal of foreign national offenders had risen by 21 percent and that the UK had conducted the four largest returns charter flights in its history.

 

"We're taking the measures that will ultimately deter and smash the people-smuggling gangs that have been plying this illegal trade," the spokesperson added. "We're extending a deal with France to step up our work with the French to further smash the gangs and stop these small boat crossings."

 

Despite the rising number of crossings, the government maintains that its strategy will deliver results in the long term, as it works with French authorities to disrupt the operations of people-smuggling networks.

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail  2025-03-05

 

 

[Red Forever]

The words “small boats” in any headline is usually like a Pavlovian bell to A.N. xenophobes. Come on guys, and susanlea, up your game. Your oh so witty comments give me….erm…minutes of mirth.

Fun fact: People arriving in UK by small boats account for under 1% of total entrants yet 80% of said boat people (when processed) are granted permission to stay.

[johng]

There should be none arriving in UK by "small boats"  as they have aleady reached a safe country before they set off in the

"small boat"

 

Instead of sploodging billions of pounds for a hundred years in defending Ukraine, 2 tier should be defending UK borders and sending a clear message to illegal immigrants by sending them back to wence they came.

[Baht Simpson]

1 minute ago, johng said:

There should be none arriving in UK by "small boats"  as they have aleady reached a safe country before they set off in the

"small boat"

Under EU law the U.K would have been entitled to do that. Not now.

[youreavinalaff]

1 hour ago, Baht Simpson said:

Under EU law the U.K would have been entitled to do that. Not now.

Incorrect.

 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ratified in 1994, and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention), enacted in 1985, jointly state first of all that people at sea legally have to be intercepted if they are found to be "in danger of being lost."

 

If these people are picked up by British vessels they must be taken to Britain. If they have already reached British shores, they cannot be sent back into the channel. 

 

All the above regardless of EU membership or not.

[Baht Simpson]

15 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Incorrect.

 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ratified in 1994, and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention), enacted in 1985, jointly state first of all that people at sea legally have to be intercepted if they are found to be "in danger of being lost."

 

If these people are picked up by British vessels they must be taken to Britain. If they have already reached British shores, they cannot be sent back into the channel. 

 

All the above regardless of EU membership or not.

I understand that but johng was talking about immigrants arriving from a "safe country", which is likely to be another EU country.

 

"The government’s post-Brexit deal, and specifically its failure to reach a “returns agreement with the EU”, whereby unauthorised migrants to the UK could be returned to the first safe EU country they had entered.

 

Before Brexit, there was just such an arrangement. But it expired once Britain left – and the government put nothing in its place."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/15/small-boats-industry-science-brexit-made-our-lives-worse

[youreavinalaff]

40 minutes ago, Baht Simpson said:

I understand that but johng was talking about immigrants arriving from a "safe country", which is likely to be another EU country.

 

So was I. The laws I quoted stand. 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

Incorrect.

 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ratified in 1994, and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention), enacted in 1985, jointly state first of all that people at sea legally have to be intercepted if they are found to be "in danger of being lost."

 

If these people are picked up by British vessels they must be taken to Britain. If they have already reached British shores, they cannot be sent back into the channel. 

 

All the above regardless of EU membership or not.

Which would only apply if a British vessel picked them up.

 

[Bannoi]

Make an agreement with France set up a facility in Calais for the assylum seekers to register and await their claim to be processed.

Then anyone arriving in UK by boat automatically forfeit any rights and are automatically and immediately returned to either France or their country of origin.

[RayC]

3 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

So was I. The laws I quoted stand. 

 

The laws you quoted may well stand but BahtSimpson is not incorrect as you stated.

 

The terms of the Dublin Agreement - which the UK opted out of after Brexit - allowed for the return of illegal immigrants.

[mrwebb8825]

Sounds like SAS target practice to me, aye lads? 🤠

[hotsun]

I see you letting in the people on boats. Where are the boats for the people who would like to leave?