Early evening summary
People arriving via small boats will be detained and returned to France “in short order” with a new safe and legal route established for refugees for the first time, Keir Starmer has announced. The Conservative party has criticised the deal. (See 5.39pm.) And Nigel Farage has condemned it too, telling Sky News:
This is Brexit Britain. We voted to take back control of our borders, not to accept a deal given to us by a French President.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, repeately criticised people (like Farage) who supported Brexit, saying they wrongly told voters that leaving the EU would make tackling illegal migration easier. They were wrong, he said. As HuffPost UK reports, Macron said:
Since Brexit, and I’m saying all this quite honestly – I know this is not your case prime minister – but many people in your country explained that Brexit would make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration, but since Brexit the UK has no migratory agreement with the EU … [Because the UK no longer had a returns agreement with the EU] that makes an incentive to make the crossing, precisely the opposite of what the Brexiters promised.
For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.
Refugee charities sceptical about benefits of returns agreement with France, with some highly critical
Charities working with refugees do not yet have a settled view on the “one in, one out” returns scheme. Earlier there were statements from Care4Calais at 4.51pm and from the International Rescue Committee at 4.55pm that were very critical.
Now two other major charities have issued statements that are more supportive – but only up to a point. They are saying there is still a need for the government to open up proper safe routes for asylum seekers wanting to come to the UK.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said:
The PM is right to say that the UK must continue to offer a haven for those in need. It’s essential people can make an asylum application, be that in Britain or France, and are treated with dignity, including getting legal advice.
Men, women and children fleeing oppressive regimes like the Taliban and brutal civil wars such as in Sudan should not need to risk their lives on boats to reach safety in Britain. Greater cooperation with France is welcome, but for any solution to work long term the government must adopt a comprehensive approach, including international cooperation, steps to prosecute the gangs and, critically, different safe and legal ways to reach Britain from conflicts such as those in Sudan and also for those with family members in the UK …
The groundbreaking one for one deal with France is an important first step but it’s vital that it is implemented in a way that treats all those seeking asylum fairly and with respect and dignity. For now, it’s too soon to determine what the impact will be.
And this is from Alex Fraser, director of refugee services for the British Red Cross.
Today’s announcement has the potential to help some people who are desperately trying to reach safety in the UK - but this shouldn’t be at the expense of denying other people protection.
To meaningfully reduce the number of people taking these dangerous journeys and prevent further loss of life, we want to see the government create a safe protection route that is more inclusive, and that sees the people behind the numbers.
Those crossing the Channel are human beings - women, children and men who have already endured unimaginable trauma and suffering. We must never lose sight of this.
Updated
