Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp will vow to “immediately” close Labour’s new safe and legal routes while “illegal migration is rife”. In his speech to Tory members on Wednesday, he will warn that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is “opening our borders even more” by re-establishing the UK Resettlement Scheme and creating three new community sponsorship routes. Under a Conservative government, illegal migration would have to fall to nearly zero before similar schemes are considered.
Labour's new schemes face Tory opposition
Thousands of migrants are expected to arrive under Labour’s new schemes every year once they are fully up and running. Charities, faith groups and businesses will be able to apply to host people from next year. Mr Philp warned that “those coming will have the right to bring in their whole extended families too”.
He is expected to say: “Labour now also wants to bring more people here directly from Afghanistan and Gaza – where the October 7th massacre was openly celebrated on the streets. Those coming will have the right to bring in their whole extended families too. While illegal migration is rife, the government should not be opening our borders even more – and we would close this scheme down immediately.”
Public safety concerns raised
Addressing the Channel migrant crisis, the senior Tory is expected to say: “Girls as young as 12 have been raped by illegal small boat migrants. Afghan men are 22 times more likely to commit sex offences than average – one even recently brought a 14-year-old girl he was abusing to the UK on a small boat. This is not just a borders crisis – it is a public safety crisis … especially for women and girls. And we must end it.”
He is also expected to criticise Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, saying: “What is Andy Burnham's answer? Not deportation. Distribution. He thinks every town and village should have its own share of illegal immigrants.”
Home Office defends resettlement plans
The Home Office insists sponsors will provide accommodation and help with integration to reduce pressure on local authorities. The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) will reopen immediately, officials said, with around 25% of arrivals expected to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinians. Hundreds of people are expected to arrive under the UKRS, which stopped taking new applicants in December 2024, and three new sponsorship routes. The Home Office expects arrivals to increase to the “low thousands” as levels of illegal migration fall.
More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year – including 1,000 in just two days. Some 418 people were packed into five dinghies on Sunday, while 609 asylum seekers were detected in eight vessels on Monday. Hundreds more are believed to have crossed on Tuesday. Labour will be hoping the weather can prevent more arrivals, with 1,282 crossing in four days.
Conservative plans for border control
Mr Philp will say: “Without strong borders we are no country at all. Many on the left think that we should let in anyone who wants to come. That every person with a claim to sympathy should be accommodated. They think only of the supposed rights of illegal immigrants. Or prioritise the rights of foreign criminals to stay here. We can’t keep on like this. It isn’t fair to the British people. The cost – financial and social – is simply too high. Borders matter. Control matters. Numbers matter.”
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Mr Philp said the party will use a network of live-facial-recognition cameras to detect, detain and deport illegal migrants. A new Removals Force will remove 150,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and visa overstayers a year, under Kemi Badenoch. Mr Philp said a Kemi Badenoch Government would return migrants to Afghanistan and Somalia, and he would be prepared to deport Iranians – once the mullahs of Tehran have been replaced.
The Conservatives have vowed to scrap controversial payments for migrants to encourage them to leave voluntarily, vowing that Britain must “seize” control of the border again. He will tell Tory supporters on Wednesday: “I recently visited Piddington, in Oxfordshire. This tiny village of just 350 people will have almost one and a half thousand male illegal immigrants forced upon it in just a few weeks’ time. Mothers I spoke to there are scared for their daughters’ safety. Andy Burnham thinks this is fine. Well, Andy Burnham is wrong. The consequence of illegal entry will be immediate removal. Because if illegal immigrants know they will quickly be deported they won’t come in the first place. It worked in Australia 13 years ago and it will work here today. Tough? Yes. But here’s the truth: it’s the only thing that will work to protect places like Piddington, to protect young women like Rhiannon and to protect our borders. And we will do it.”
