Labour leader Keir Starmer has pledged to halt all deportation flights to Rwanda from the moment his party wins the general election, describing the Conservative scheme as a 'gimmick' and a 'waste of money'. In a speech in Deal, Kent, Starmer said there would be 'no flights scheduled or taking off' under a Labour government.
Starmer outlined plans to replace the Rwanda policy with a new border security command, funded by £75m diverted from the current scheme. The money would create hundreds of specialist officer roles with counter-terrorism powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs. He argued that breaking the gangs was the most effective deterrent, as it would prevent migrants from making Channel crossings.
The Labour leader criticised the government's record, noting that less than 1% of small boat arrivals are removed each year. He described the asylum system as 'broken' and said Britain was seen as a 'soft touch'. Starmer declined to promise to 'stop the boats' or set a target for reducing crossings, saying he wanted numbers to come down 'materially' but would not put a 'false number' on his plans.
Home Secretary James Cleverly defended the Rwanda scheme, calling it 'comic' for Labour to scrap it when it was 'demonstrably' working, despite no flights having departed yet. He acknowledged the scheme was in early stages but said it was an 'uncapped scheme' that would have a positive effect. Cleverly also addressed the issue of over 3,500 people identified for the first flights who have lost contact with authorities, saying immigration enforcement would find and remove them.
Starmer also blamed the government's 'botched Brexit deal' for hampering cooperation with European agencies on border security. He pledged to 'turn the page on Westminster's talk tough, do nothing culture' and restore serious government to the borders.
