Labour admit their plan to stop Channel small boats isn’t working — as the total of migrants crossing this year hit 40,000, reports BritPanorama.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has acknowledged that efforts to dismantle smuggling gangs are faltering, with nearly 18 months having passed since Labour assumed power.
This acknowledgment coincided with the arrival of over 700 migrants in 11 boats on Saturday, marking an end to a 28-day period without crossings.
Witness accounts indicated that each inflatable boat was overcrowded, containing between 55 and 80 individuals. The Home Secretary, when questioned about progress in resolving the issue, admitted, “Not yet.”
She elaborated, stating, “We are working very closely with our partners in France, particularly in the north of France. But actually further upstream in Europe as well.”
In 2023, the UK government agreed to allocate £500 million to France for additional policing and a new detention centre. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also invested £100 million into a “one-in, one-out” returns scheme, which has only seen 150 migrants sent back to France.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the Labour government for discontinuing the previous administration’s Rwanda plan, asserting, “Illegal crossings are at record levels in 2025, with more than 40,000 people crossing this year alone. And today the Home Secretary admitted the plan is ‘not yet’ working. This is the direct result of Labour scrapping our deterrent.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attributed the ongoing issues to Labour’s decision to remain within the European Convention on Human Rights, stating succinctly, “So the problem will continue.”
Amid these developments, protesters have been demonstrating in Crowborough, East Sussex, for the sixth consecutive weekend against Home Office proposals to relocate 500 male migrants to an army barracks.
As the UK grapples with increasing migrant crossings, the effectiveness of government strategies remains under scrutiny. The response to these challenges will be pivotal for the administration’s credibility and for future immigration policy decisions.
