Keir Starmer has been revealing details of how his government would tackle the migration crisis, with a promise to treat people-smuggling gangs like terrorists.
The policy was announced as he and the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, visited The Hague for talks with Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency.
What is Labour proposing?
While ruling out reversing Brexit, the party’s plans are focused on greater cooperation with the EU, a deal that has proved elusive for Rishi Sunak’s government.
Starmer indicated he could do a deal with Brussels involving the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers who arrive in the bloc in exchange for being able to return people who cross the Channel.
Labour also plans to pay for more asylum caseworkers to help clear the backlog of more than 175,000 asylum seekers awaiting an initial decision on their application.
How different is it from the government’s position?
Starmer’s remarks on being open to accepting a quota-based deal with the EU means there is a clear dividing line between the two main parties on immigration.
Sunak’s spokesperson told reporters at Downing Street on Thursday that, while talks continued with the EU on brokering a returns agreement, the government would never accept a quota of migrants as the price for that.
The plan to send people to Rwanda to have their asylum applications processed remains a central element of the government’s stance on immigration, despite being found to be unlawful.
Why are they saying it now?
After months of outlining the five “missions” Labour will put at the centre of its election offer, the party is turning to immigration both because it cannot avoid it and because it is ground on which strategists believe the Tories are vulnerable.
At the front of their minds is the perception that Sunak has been unable to curb unofficial arrivals, despite this being one of his own five pledges, and the opening it gives to Labour.
Outflanking the Tories by using language such as “smashing” criminal gangs is part of a focus on convincing voters in “red wall” seats that Labour has changed since the last election and shares their concerns.
The move is not without risks. Labour figures will continue to face questions in interviews about what level of asylum seekers the party would be willing to accept in government.
How is Labour laying the groundwork?
During his talks with Europol, Starmer was expected to discuss a provisional agreement for a future Labour government, including a replacement for the EU’s live police data and intelligence-sharing system. The UK gave up its seat on the board of Europol after Brexit, a move that ended British access to shared intelligence databases.
Labour has been talking up Starmer’s experience in the field and background as director of public prosecutions as it makes overtures to potential European partners.
That project will continue as Starmer flies to Canada for a conference with centre-left and liberal peers from other countries, where he will seek to build support for a “progressive” answer to the challenges posed by the migration crisis and the siren calls from populist rivals. Next week Starmer will meet Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
What has been the reaction?
Party strategists will be happy with the media coverage the announcement has had in the UK, which included an article for the Sun by Starmer, and its relatively successful unveiling.
Starmer’s concession that an EU deal may involve a quid pro quo of accepting quotas of asylum seekers from the bloc will almost certainly be weaponised in the election by the Tories, although its impact remains to be seen.
While Starmer courted controversy by describing those who disagreed with the plans as “un-British”, otherwise prominent critics of Starmer within Labour held their fire, for now at least.
Elsewhere, there was a welcome from campaigners including Freedom from Torture and the Refugee Council, which said the plans to “restore” the right to asylum and protection was an important moment. But staff from Care4Calais, a refugee charity, accused Starmer of seeking to “mirror” Tory messaging.
There was no immediate response from EU leaders, but a senior European police source with experience of cross-border cooperation highlighted the effect of Brexit on Europol and the changed circumstances a Labour government would face.
“After the Brits left the Irish took more of the top roles where they wanted English speakers,” the source said. “Britain really used to be part of the ‘big three’ of Europe, with France and Germany, but now they have to do everything bilaterally, which is slower.
“Britain coming back towards Europol would be good for everyone, although there wouldn’t be much appetite for bespoke, special treatment.”
