SIR Keir Starmer’s much-touted migration deal is expected to return a tiny fraction of dinghy migrants to France — just 50 a week.
The PM last night finally admitted the need for a “new deterrent” following a surge in Channel crossings, after axing the Tories’ Rwanda scheme.
AFPSir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are expected to sign the deal tomorrow[/caption]
GettyThe deal is expected to send 50 small boat migrants back to France per week[/caption]
But French President Emmanuel Macron, on a State Visit to Britain, is initially willing to take back just 50 illegals a week and that is all — “c’est tout” in French.
That is equivalent to just 2,600 returns annually, compared with the 44,000 who have arrived since Labour took power a year ago.
The Tories panned the plan — leaked to the Press in France — as “no deterrent at all”.
It came after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told the Commons: “The country demands you say, ‘We will not accept undocumented males across the English Channel’ and that you are not dictated to by an increasingly arrogant, anti-Brexit French President.”
Haggling over the final agreement was still under way last night, ahead of a joint press conference with the two leaders today.
It is understood Britain expects the number of returns to be drastically ramped up after a trial period.
Sir Keir and Mr Macron yesterday agreed the need for a new approach to stop people-smuggling gangs, which implies they admit the current scheme is failing.
No 10 said: “The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the gangs’ business model.”
Despite many Brits believing the French do not care about thwarting crossings, Mr Macron is said to agree with Sir Keir tackling illegal migration is a “shared priority”.
The “one in, one out” deal would see the UK take some asylum seekers from France who have legitimate claims and family in Britain.
Ministers hope this would break the business model of the smuggling gangs, with migrants unwilling to pay thousands for a crossing if they could be sent straight back.
Southern EU countries such as Greece and Italy have been angered by the plan, over fears it will see more migrants stay in their territory rather than head to northern France.
The PM and French President are also expected to confirm a relaxing of maritime laws to allow Calais cops to puncture the small boats in shallow waters.
But Sir Keir risks a fresh row if he hands over more money on top of the £771million stumped up since 2018, including £480million in the past three years.
But he failed to rule out more cash for France yesterday, only saying: “We will only provide funding that delivers on our priorities.”
GettyThe PM and French President are also expected to confirm a relaxing of maritime laws to allow Calais cops to puncture the small boats in shallow waters[/caption]
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey insisted new money must be conditional on France “doing their bit”
And Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “We had a deterrent ready to go, where every single illegal immigrant arriving over the Channel would be sent to Rwanda.
“But Starmer cancelled this before it had a chance to start. Now, a year later, he’s realised he made a massive mistake. That’s why numbers have surged and this year, so far, has been the worst in history for illegal Channel crossings.”
Labour sees turning the tide on small boats critical to stopping the charge of Reform, with crossings up around 40 per cent on their watch.
A senior Government source said: “The scenes of boats coming day after day are killing us. We can do all the deals we want, but we know we need results.”
Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman said Sir Keir will lose working class support if he fails to grip illegal migration.
He told LBC: “Keir Starmer said it’s a national security issue, but he hasn’t brought in the Army. This is crazy. If the French can’t control their border, we will have to. The British working class are furious.”
Steve BellLabour have overseen a huge jump in small boat crossings[/caption]
He warned the next election will be Labour vs Reform, and “the reason the Conservatives are out of the game is they said they’d take back control and didn’t”.
It came as former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair’s institute urged the Government to use digital ID cards to tackle the problem.
It said the credentials would verify people as Channel migrants so they can be stopped from working illegally — one of the main “pull factors”.
The TBI’s Ryan Wain said: “The moment someone lands on our shores, whether by small boat or through another route, they’re issued a digital ID straight away that verifies their credentials.”
No 10 said it has no plans to bring in digital ID for migrants.
An Iraqi asylum seeker who claimed he was discriminated against in his home country for his speech impediment has won the right to stay in the UK.
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