Illegal immigration remains one of the UK's most pressing issues, especially for communities hosting immigrant hotels or facing new houses in multiple occupation (HMO). Yet Prime Minister Andy Burnham has consistently avoided the topic, even resorting to discussing trivialities like pork scratchings and regional names for bread rolls on TikTok, rather than addressing the crisis.
Record Arrivals and EU Pressure
Last Wednesday alone, 752 illegal immigrants arrived in nine boats, marking the highest single-day total this year and surpassing the previous record of 710 set the month before. This surge comes as the EU, led by Italy, moves toward stricter measures following the arrival of 60,000 migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Italy has reintroduced border checks for travelers from Spain by air and sea, suspending Schengen free movement rules. Additionally, 22 Schengen member states have sent an open letter to Brussels demanding an urgent meeting on the immigration emergency.
Germany's Tough Stance and UK's Reversed Policy
Germany is also adopting a hardline approach after a series of Islamic attacks, including the recent incident at Berlin's Pride Festival. Along with Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, Germany is exploring offshore processing in third countries, following Italy's deal with Albania. The UK previously pioneered this strategy with its Rwanda agreement under Rishi Sunak and the last Conservative government, but Labour revoked it on their first day in office.
While right-wing parties in the UK—Conservatives, Reform, and Restore—have pledged to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, revoke Tony Blair's Human Rights Act, and update the refugee convention to combat illegal immigration, Labour under Starmer and now Burnham refuses to consider such measures.
Labour's Open Borders Ideology
Although former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lord Hermer have left government, their human rights ideology remains embedded in Labour's DNA, including a preference for open borders. Burnham's reluctance to discuss immigration stems from his apparent lack of concern about it, and he would not contemplate the only effective response: detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, Burnham is reportedly seeking to soften his Home Secretary's tougher stance requiring a 10-year residency for Indefinite Leave to Remain. He and his backbenchers continue to advocate for a youth free-movement scheme with Europe, safer routes into the UK, and reducing the immigration backlog by fast-tracking approvals, effectively granting a free pass into the country.
Burnham may soon discover that the public desires a Prime Minister who decisively tackles illegal immigration, not a B-list celebrity TikToker sharing trivialities.
