, Labour's Shadow
Immigration Minister, responding to 316 people crossing
the Channel in small boats yesterday surpassing 11,000 this year,
said:
"Under and the Tories, the number of
small boat crossings in the Channel just keeps on going up, now
passing 11,000 this year, a record high.
"His false claim about making progress on small boats sits
alongside his lies about the NHS and tax as desperate attempts to
pull the wool over voters' eyes.
"The Labour Party has a comprehensive plan to deliver a new
Border Security Command which will see hundreds of specialist
investigators working across Europe and beyond to smash the
criminal smuggling gangs that are running our borders, and a
commitment to create a new Returns and Enforcement Unit to remove
people from Britain who have no right to be here."
Ends
Labour's five-point plan to reform the asylum
system:
-
Create a new elite Border Security Command, staffed by
hundreds of specialist investigators, intelligence agents, and
cross-border police officers to smash the gangs
upstream
A Labour government will create a new elite Border Security
Command, modelled on the Office for Security andCounter-Terrorism
set up by the last Labour government, to overhaul the
government's approach to national security.
This will see the installation of a new Border Security Command –
a former police, military or intelligence chief – and reporting
directly to the Home Secretary, the new Command will direct work
across key intelligence and enforcement agencies with a single
aim of ensuring a strong, protected border. The operation will
put hundreds of new specialist investigators, intelligence agents
and cross-border police officers, who will support the Border
Security Command unit and work across the UK and Europe, split
across multiple agencies, including the National Crime Agency,
MI5, Border Force, CPS International and Immigration Enforcement.
Labour will also seek to negotiate a new security agreement with
Europe, including a replacement to SIS-II, to allow for the
real-time sharing of intelligence on people smuggling suspects.
To fund this, Labour would redirect spending from the unworkable
Rwanda scheme, which the government has admitted is subject to a
very high risk of fraud.
-
End hotel use, clear the Tory asylum backlog, and speed
up returns to safe countries
Labour will save the taxpayer billions by ending the use of
hotels for asylum seekers within 12 months and setting up a new
returns unit for safe countries. Labour will recruit over 1,000
Home Office caseworkers to clear the record Tory asylum backlog,
and a further 1,000 staff for a new returns unit so that those
who do not have a right to stay here can be quickly removed, and
we end the use of costly hotels at the taxpayers' expense. Labour
will fast track decisions on applications from safe countries,
like India and Albania, which are unlikely to be granted; and
establish a new returns unit to reverse the 44% collapse in
asylum removals that the Tory Government has overseen since 2010.
-
Reform resettlement routes to stop people being
exploited by gangs
Labour would redesign the existing resettlement schemes which are
not currently working properly so that they include a clearer
process for refugees with family connections in the UK to be
considered for resettlement, preventing them being exploited by
criminal gangs or making dangerous journeys.
-
New agreement with France and other countries on
returns and family reunion
Labour would negotiate a new agreement which includes safe
returns and safe family reunions for child refugees.
-
Tackle humanitarian crises at source helping refugees
in their region
Labour would work in partnership internationally to address some
of the humanitarian crises that are leading people to flee their
homes including restoring the 0.7% aid commitment when the fiscal
situation allows and strengthening support for the people of
Afghanistan, currently the largest group trying to cross the
Channel.
