Starmer Says Channel Illegal Immigrant Situation ‘Can’t Be Changed Overnight’
Published on July 11, 2024
Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer warned on Wednesday that the number of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel “can’t be changed overnight” as arrivals for the year exceeded 14,000. Sir Keir said that the situation could get even worse before any improvement is seen, in comments he made as he attended the NATO summit in Washington. Asked by reporters if his pledge to “smash the gangs” meant stopping the small boat crossings he said: “I have always said the previous government’s Rwanda policy was a gimmick, it wouldn’t be a deterrent. “They argued, if I recall, that even the passing of the legislation would be a deterrent. It clearly hasn’t worked, wasn’t going to work—we’ve had record numbers coming over this year....