Ministers have faced renewed pressure to act on small boat crossings after critics said Brexit has left the UK less able to respond to the crisis. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged Britain to sign up to the EU’s new Migration and Asylum Pact, arguing it would give the UK further tools to return people whose asylum claims fail. The call comes after a Labour minister, borders minister, acknowledged last week that leaving the EU has made it harder to deal with small boats. Davey Trains Fire On FarageSpeaking as the government weighs its approach to migration controls, Mr Davey said Nigel Farage and Conservatives bear responsibility for creating conditions that critics say traffickers exploit. He accused Mr Farage of “exploiting a mess he helped create”, saying: “Farage and the Conservatives should hang their heads in shame for breaking our borders with their bad Brexit deal. But instead of apologising to the British public, they are now exploiting the mess they created for their own gain." The Lib Dems framed their argument around the practical effect of being outside EU systems, including access to biometric information. What Joining The Pact Would ProvideThe party said moving towards the EU agreement would enable the UK to use mechanisms the bloc is developing under the pact. Its supporters argue it would help the UK return failed asylum seekers and regain access to biometric data used to identify individuals. They also point to the return of operational capabilities that were available while the UK was in the EU but were lost after Brexit, including access to fingerprint and related identification systems. Research Cited On Return AgreementsThe Lib Dems referred to research by the Migration Observatory, which they said found that people who travel by small boat often cite the absence of a firm return arrangement as a factor in their decision to attempt the crossing. The study, as described by the party, said the link was especially strong for those who have been refused protection in other EU countries. Government Push On EU DatabasesThe UK government has been seeking access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the EU’s fingerprinting database, Eurodac, which it no longer has after Brexit. Officials believe those systems would make it easier to identify asylum seekers whose claims should be rejected. The Lib Dems argued that pursuing the new EU migration pact would unlock the tools needed to tackle crossings while allowing the government to operate a process they described as humane and cost-effective. Max Wilkinson, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said: “Time and time again, Nigel Farage and the architects of the dangerous small boats chaos tell us they have a new plan to end the crisis they created. They would sooner send in the navy at taxpayers’ expense and strip British people of hard-won rights by leaving the ECHR than admit they’re responsible. “We can end small boat crossings and have a humane and cost-effective asylum system by joining the EU’s new pact.” Join the discussion? 19 August 2026
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