Labour keeps shouting “Smash the gangs!” but many are wondering if that’s all it is — just shouting. Despite the promises, the small boat crossings haven’t slowed down. In fact, over 5,500 people have already arrived this year alone, setting a new record. Meanwhile, taxpayers are left picking up the bill, and frustration is boiling over.
Now, Labour is pushing a new idea: send failed asylum seekers to “return hubs” in the Western Balkans — places like Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia. But for many, it’s hard not to see this as just a repackaged version of the Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme, which Labour scrapped the moment they got the chance. That decision alone came with a hefty price tag, as taxpayers had already paid into the Rwanda deal before it was shut down, without ever getting off the ground.
