Opposition leader Keir Starmer announced on Thursday (14) that under a Labour government, a new police unit would be established to address illegal migration. Additionally, he indicated an openness to exploring a returns agreement with the European Union as a potential solution to the crisis.
How to tackle illegal migration is set to be a major battleground for both Labour and the governing Conservative Party in a national election expected next year, with many voters angry over the housing of immigrants in costly hotels.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has made "stopping the boats" - the arrival of migrants across the Channel - a priority but as yet his government's policies, such as sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, have failed to get off the ground.
Starmer, whose party looks set to win the next election according to opinion polls, said in a comment piece in the Sun newspaper: "With Labour, you won't get more -gimmicks...You'll get a proper plan to stop these dangerous boat crossings. I will ensure Britain leads the Continent in this."
"That is going to mean setting up a brand new police unit, working both here and abroad, entirely dedicated to breaking up the smugglers' business model," he wrote.
He also suggested in an interview with the Times newspaper that a Labour government could seek an EU-wide returns agreement for asylum seekers who come to Britain, possibly accepting quotas of migrants in return for sending back people who arrive illegally.
Asked on ITV about how many asylum seekers he might take, he said such a returns agreement would only happen if people were still travelling across the Channel, something he wanted to stop.
"But ... where people have got across, what we need to do is process their claims as quickly as possible and where people are not allowed to stay in the UK we need to return them."
Starmer and his policy chief for home affairs, Yvette Cooper, are at The Hague to hold discussions with officials at the EU police force Europol about his plans.
Next week, Starmer will meet French President Emmanuel Macron, where he might also pitch his proposals.
(Reuters)
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)