‘We’ve proved the concept’ of deportations, says Starmer

The Government has “proved the concept” of deportations, despite legal challenges “piling in”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Prime Minister said authorities had “massively increased” the number of migrants who are removed from the UK, if they are deemed not to have a right to be in the country.

Referring to a one in, one out returns agreement with France, Sir Keir said he wanted “to ramp that up”.

Six people have been removed to the France under the deal, including an Afghan and a Somali who were sent to the continent on Thursday morning, the PA news agency understands.

Asked if he will have failed in his pledge to “smash the gangs” if 2025 ends up being a record year for small boat arrivals in Kent, the Prime Minister told ITV Meridian: “We have to smash the gangs, and it is a serious issue.

“I understand people’s concern about this.”

Sir Keir also told the channel, which broadcasts throughout southern England including Kent, that the Government had “done agreements with other countries, particularly France” in an effort to “take down the gangs where they operate”, before the point where some migrants board the small boats.

“We’ve also massively increased the number of people who are returned, if they’ve come to this country and they’ve got no right to be here,” the Prime Minister continued.

“So, 25,000 have been returned.

“We’ve got the returns agreement with France, the one in, one out.

“Small numbers – I accept we want to ramp that up but we’ve been able to prove that you can actually remove people, notwithstanding the legal challenges that have been piling in on us.

“You can do it.

“So, now we’ve proved the concept, if you like, we need to ramp that up.

“But I want to be really clear with everybody watching: I understand the concern, we’ve got to get these numbers down.

“It’s a serious problem which requires serious responses, and that’s what we’re working at day in, day out to achieve.”

More than 32,000 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel by small boat so far this year.

Sir Keir also faced questions about hotels being used to house asylum seekers, as he spoke to regional broadcasters ahead of this weekend’s Labour conference in Liverpool.

He told ITV West Country: “People don’t want to see these hotels used for this purpose, and that’s why I’ve done everything we can to bring forward the date on which we can empty those hotels.”

The Prime Minister said he wanted “to solve the problem that underpins” hotel use, which he said was “the failure of the last government to process” asylum claims.