Immigration surge: Labour’s open to to migrants | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer’s open door method to immigration would imply an additional 250,000 migrants coming to Britain, a serious new report warns.

Cosying as much as Brussels by becoming a member of an EU-wide returns settlement would improve internet immigration by nearly 130,000 a 12 months alone, the research exhibits.

Scrapping the federal government’s Rwanda scheme – first launched by Boris Johnson – could ramp the determine up by an additional 10,000 a 12 months, it claims.

The Henry Jackson Society report, additionally factors out that Labour could reverse the rule blocking care staff from bringing their dependents to the UK, growing immigration by one other 120,000.

Taken collectively, Sir Keir’s insurance policies might end in 1 / 4 of one million additional migrants coming into Britain annually if he turns into Prime Minister.

The complete 20,000 phrase research, which has been seen by the Daily Express forward of its publication on Tuesday, is the primary of its form in forensically assessing Labour’s plans to sort out immigration.

It says Sir Keir’s decades-long skilled observe file as a lawyer, significantly his previous human rights work, means he’s a politician motivated “to take the facet of those that are vulnerable to having their rights crushed by the state”.

“It tells the story of one who has made useful contributions to the topic of immigration, and one who has cultivated, over time, a moderate stance on business visas and skills issues related to immigration,” the study says.

“Yet it also shows a consistent and longstanding reticence to take action against criminals and those who abuse the system.”

It adds: “Starmer may have developed a propensity, or perhaps a subconscious heuristic, to oppose state action against vulnerable would-be deportees, even if the state has the right, and even if the deportees are violent criminals.”

The study – The Prospective Immigration Policy of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party – has contributions from half a dozen experts in the fields of migration, criminal network, and econometrics.

It warns that the nation’s immigration policy under a Starmer government will “have a tremendous impact on businesses and the labour market in the UK”.

A european charm offensive by Sir Keir last year provoked fears that he would realign a Labour government with the EU – particularly on tackling migration.

It is claimed the party would strike a pact with Brussels in an EU scheme for burden-sharing on migration.

The Tories said this would result in Britain being forced to take more than 100,000 illegal migrants every year.

But the report claims the figure could be much higher as it would mean accepting a quota of EU migrants.

“Under this more likely returns deal, made even more feasible by Starmer’s diplomatic rapprochement with the EU, the UK can expect a net immigration increase of 127,214 per year,” it says.

Labour has already ruled out deporting illegal migrants to another country, meaning it would ditch the Rwanda scheme.

However, Sir Keir has said he is considering processing some asylum claims overseas if he wins the race to No 10.

The HJS study warns this would increase numbers further still.

“To cancel Rwanda would increase net immigration by a further 1160 per year as a minimum and 10,000 as a reasonable maximum.”

It argues that a Labour government would reverse rule changes that prevent overseas care workers from bringing family dependants to the UK.

Some 120,000 people came to the UK last year via this route.

Writing in this newspaper report author, Dr Azeem Ibrahim, said: “Keir Starmer’s policies, should he form a government following a general election, would involve the scrapping of the Rwanda scheme, an EU-wide returns agreement with a migrant quota, and more generous visa rules for workers to continue to bring their families from overseas.

“These changes would result in 250,000 more migrants per year compared to today.”

He added: “The trouble for British voters is that we might not get any real insight into what Keir Starmer will do before we’re asked to put him into office. Democracy isn’t supposed to be about writing a blank cheque.”

Net migration – the difference between immigration into the UK and those emigrating – hit 672,000 in June 2023.

Illegal Migration, Michael Tomlinson, said: “This report has confirmed that Sir Keir Starmer cannot say what he would do to stop the boats because he does not have a plan.

“We are sticking to our plan that is working, with Channel crossings down by over a third last year. We are also pressing ahead with our Rwanda plan to deter illegal migration and stop the boats.

“The choice is clear: stick with the plan under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives to stop the boats and deliver a fairer migration system, or go back to square one and get more illegal migration with Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.”

On Friday the UK signed a new deal with the EU’s border agency to work more closely together to stop small boats crossing the English Channel.

The agreement with Frontex is intended to lead to more sharing of information and expertise.

It is the latest in a series of measures aimed at improving cooperation in tackling illegal migration.

Last year, nearly 30,000 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK from France – down a third on 2022.

The Tories warned a Starmer-government would see a repeat of Labour’s “open door” to immigration under Tony Blair.

A Tory source said: “Starmer has spent months cosying as much as Open Borders Blair, this report exhibits simply how far Blair’s affect extends.

“Brits should be in no doubt that Labour’s empty words on immigration are exactly that – they have no plan to control immigration because they don’t believe in it, they think all migration controls are ‘racist’.

“If Sir Keir will get into No10 we’ll be overwhelmed with waves of immigration similar to we have been below the final Labour authorities.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “This report is total garbage – full of fabrications, false figures and invented presumptions, presumably aimed at distracting from the failures of the Tory Party that has trebled net migration to a record high when they promised to reduce it.

“Labour has set out a plan to crack down on criminal gangs to stop dangerous boat crossings, and to reform the immigration system so we train more people here in the UK rather than always recruiting from overseas because we believe that net migration should come down. And we have been very clear that we will not join the EU member states quota scheme, so the entire basis for this paper’s invented figures is nonsense.

“The Conservatives are responsible for record net migration, over 100,000 small boat crossings, and have failed to fix our broken asylum system. Only Labour can deliver the change we need.”

Labour says it has repeatedly ruled out opting into an EU asylum scheme and accepting migrant quotas.

A party source said the report ignores its plan for a new returns unit and fast tracking asylum decisions.

“The report bases the opposite half of its figures (not less than 120,000) on the idea that Labour would reverse latest adjustments to immigration guidelines – once more, fully invented with no foundation in any public statements,” they said.

“The report invents Labour coverage on returns primarily based on inference, with no foundation in truth and it makes assertions concerning the implausibility of a doable settlement to return migrants travelling to the UK in small boats with no sourcing.”