GB News presenter Dawn Neesom has suggested that Andy Burnham could solve the illegal immigration crisis if he truly wanted to, contrasting the UK's approach with Sweden's success in reducing crossings.
Channel Crossings Surge
Speaking on Monday's (August 10) GB News breakfast show, Neesom reacted to news that 950 migrants crossed the English Channel illegally over the weekend. The prime minister has claimed the current Labour Party plan to stop small boats is working, but Neesom pointed to Sweden as a model of effective action.
“Their illegal immigration has gone down hugely, they don't have a problem anymore,” she said, noting Sweden has tightened benefits rules and made integration difficult, requiring migrants to learn Swedish and secure employment.
Political Will Questioned
Neesom revealed a Swedish journalist told her, “Where there's a will, there's a way,” leading her to remark: “If you want to do it, you can really do it. The people dealing with this issue are in government. They can change the laws!”
She criticized Burnham and the Labour government, declaring: “We just don't seem to have the political will in this country to be able to do it.”
Public Frustration
Co-host Ellie Costello noted Nordic attitudes toward illegal immigration have changed drastically over the last decade, while Britain's have only hardened. Neesom added: “We are sick and tired of being taken for mugs by our politicians, from Labour and the Conservative Party. It's the fact we're being lied to about the situation that worries me.”
She also claimed: “Women are being murdered in this country by people that come across illegally on these boats. It's just terrifying.”
Host Mark White said the nearly 1,000 crossings “tells you all you need to know about the depth of this crisis,” noting that while numbers are down compared to last year, “it only takes a couple of good days and you can see the figures shooting up again.”
