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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Oliver Browning

Watch live as Sunak speaks on government plans to stop small boat Channel crossings

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Watch live as Rishi Sunak holds a press conference on the government’s plans to stop migrants arriving on small boats.

The prime minister will be speaking from Dover, Kent on Monday 5 June and address the “progress” made in the last six months since the Illegal Migration Bill was introduced.

However, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has described the speech Mr Sunak is due to give as “like Groundhog Day”.

“I think everybody wants to make sure that we stop the boats, we don’t want people making that dangerous journey,” he said.

“All we’ve really had from the government though is the announcement of a policy that doesn’t work and then the re-announcement of the same policy, essentially.

“It often feels, I think, like Groundhog Day and meanwhile that’s costing a fortune for the taxpayer and there’s this growing sense of frustration.”

The government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill - which is passing through the House of Lords - will effectively ban people arriving in the UK on small boats from claiming asylum.

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