 Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will 'take control' of the small boats crisis by cooperating closely with the European Union because the government has 'totally lost control' of the situation. During a tense war of words, the Labour leader rubbished Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman's claims he would let the UK become a 'dumping ground' for up to 100,000 migrants from the EU each year. Instead, Starmer claimed he would make a deal with Brussels which would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers in exchange for the ability to return people who cross the English Channel. But he insisted that his focus was on smashing the gangs behind the 'vile' trade and preventing people leaving in small boats from France in the first place. The Labour leader says he wants small boats smugglers to be treated the same as terrorists (Picture: Getty) Sir Keir recently visited The Hague, in the Netherlands, for talks with the EU's Europol law enforcement agency. But the Tories seized on the suggestion that he would be prepared to negotiate with Brussels on allowing a quota of asylum seekers into the country. Rishi Sunak claimed the plans could result in 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said Sir Keir would let the UK become a 'dumping ground' for Europe's migrants. But Starmer said the response was 'typical from a Government that's completely lost control of the situation'. 'It's embarrassing that the Government is pumping out this nonsense,' he said. 'I can only assume it's because they've got nothing sensible to say on the issue.' Labour says it would work to reach a new agreement to share real-time intelligence with the EU similar to the Schengen Information System II, a database of terror suspects and immigration offenders which the UK had automatic access to before Brexit. The party has also vowed to strengthen powers to restrict the movem){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will ‘take control’ of the small boats crisis by cooperating closely with the European Union because the government has ‘totally lost control’ of the situation.
During a tense war of words, the Labour leader rubbished Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman’s claims he would let the UK become a ‘dumping ground’ for up to 100,000 migrants from the EU each year.
Instead, Starmer claimed he would make a deal with Brussels which would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers in exchange for the ability to return people who cross the English Channel.
But he insisted that his focus was on smashing the gangs behind the ‘vile’ trade and preventing people leaving in small boats from France in the first place.