WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols has welcomed the new groundbreaking agreement between the UK and France, which will start returning small boats that cross the English Channel illegally.
Both countries are working to implement a pilot scheme in the coming weeks which, once in force, will enable migrants who cross the Channel by small boat to be detained and removed. The French authorities have also begun intercepting more boats in shallow waters.
This agreement is intended to prevent illegal migrant journeys across Europe to the UK and prevent dangerous small boat crossings, helping to undermine the business model of organised gangs profiting from people’s misery by showing others these journeys could result in them being returned back to France – ultimately saving lives. The new pilot scheme will see small boat arrivals being returned to France. Then an equal number of migrants seeking to come to the UK from France will be allowed to apply through a legal route – where the UK Government can decide if someone has the right to be in the UK, fully documented and subject to strict security checks.
Welcoming the pilot scheme, Ms Nichols said: “I welcome this important step in tackling illegal boat crossings across the Channel. We need to do something about this vile people smuggling trade which has been putting lives at risk for years, has allowed people to enter the UK with no right to be here, and which has facilitated mass human trafficking and exploitation.
“The new Labour Government has brought new ideas to the table, and is willing to discuss them with France, who share this issue with us. By having a boat return agreement with France and a legal route in place, this will cut down the number of crossings and help us close the asylum hotels. There has to be some give and take with France, otherwise crossings would just go on indefinitely.
“This is taking real action and not ignoring the problem like the previous Conservative Government. They focused on the Rwanda Plan gimmick which did not work – 84,000 people crossed the Channel whilst this plan was in place.
“Reform do not have the answers. They only want to take videos of the problem, cause tensions in our communities and not work with our allies.”
She says the Government has already taken measures before this agreement with France. Since the election last year, the Government has:
– Deported 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK
– Increased raids on illegal working by 50%
– Prevented 12,000 boats crossing the channel
