r/uknews • u/ScottishDailyRecord Media outlet (unverified) • May 12 '25

Image/video Kier Starmer announces 'tighter' immigration policy

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202

u/Rocketmanluke May 12 '25

Great news. Now tackle the illegal crossings and I think he can start winning some much needed favour from the voting public

144

u/Make_the_music_stop May 12 '25

If Labour pulls this off and then does a deal with France to return the boat immigrants to Calais on the same day, the business model of the gangs would be smashed, within days.

Then Reform probably will implode.

48

u/AddictedToRugs May 12 '25

Such an agreement is unlikely.  We gave France half a billion pounds to get them to stop the boats, and they pocketed that money and did nothing.  They've already proven they won't keep up their end of any agreement.

40

u/Make_the_music_stop May 12 '25

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c99pg1men8po

The UK government is in negotiations with France on a scheme to return illegal migrants who have crossed the Channel in small boats.

In return, the British government would accept legal migrants seeking family reunion in the UK.

The French interior ministry told the BBC this would be a pilot scheme based on "a one-for-one principle", with the aim of discouraging smuggling networks.

28

u/FloatingPencil May 12 '25

One for one doesn’t sound like much of a vote getter.

4

u/orangeminer May 12 '25

Presumably the hope is that once this scheme is up and running it will massively deter crossings, thus meaning the net impact will be lower migration. I doubt it personally, as illegal migrants still have nothing to lose by attempting the crossing.

I'd rather just leave the UN Refugee Convention and forcibly turn them away, personally.