Shabana Mahmood said the first removals of small boat arrivals to France are imminent after a ‘one in one out’ deal was reached between the two nations over the summer
Labour’s new Home Secretary has said the first removals of small boat arrivals to France are “imminent”.
Shabana Mahmood said a new scheme, agreed between the UK and French governments this summer, will be a major tool tackling “vile” people smugglers. Last month people who made the dangerous Channel crossing were detained and will be the first wave of people sent back.
In exchange the same number of people with a legitimate claim to settle in Britain will be sent in their place. It comes after Home Office figures showed small boat crossings have passed 30,000 this year.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage says he’s ‘not inclined’ to publish tax return amid stamp duty questionsREAD MORE: Blow for Keir Starmer as two Labour heavyweights publicly hit out at his leadership
Ms Mahmood, who replaced Yvette Cooper in a Government reshuffle on Friday, said: “These small boats crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders.
“Thanks to our deal with France, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France and I expect the first returns to take place imminently. Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system.”
The Government has refused to say how many people will be removed under the pilot scheme, which ministers hope to expand in the future. But according to reports it is expected that initially 50 people a week will be detained and deported after arriving by small boat.
Keir Starmer said this will discourage people from making the dangerous journey in the first place. It is the first return agreement Britain has reached since Brexit. This week Ms Mahmood will meet counterparts from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to discuss ways to tackle people smuggling.
The the Five Country Ministerial, or Five Eyes, meeting will be held on Monday and Tuesday – the first UK meeting since 2019. The group will also discuss new measures to tackle child sexual abuse online and stop the spread of deadly synthetic opioids.
Ms Mahmood said: “Rebuilding our reputation on the world stage is how we tackle serious organised crime and secure our borders.
“We have already reset our relationship with the EU, struck a people smuggling deal with the G7 and operationalised a first-of its-kind returns agreement with France. Today, we will agree new measures to protect our borders with our five eyes partners, hitting people smugglers hard.”
READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster