The Home Office today (9th September) issued a press release titled, ‘For the first time, small boat migrants arriving in the UK face being detained and returned to France’. Promising title – but is it true?
Hardly. In fact, the press release buries the real story – that the vast majority of these returns are voluntary.
The government wants you to think it’s being tough.
“The message to the criminal people-smugglers is clear: we will end your vile trade,” it reads. But if the bulk of those returning are voluntary, are these people really arriving via smuggling? Are they so desperate to spend £2,500 to cross the Channel only to then hold their hands up, admit to being caught, and then willingly turn back?
This is not a new development; for a long time, voluntary returns have outpaced enforced returns (since 2007), which is itself an indictment of our border security, but has taken on a particularly alarming dimension when you remember that the small boats crisis has seen over 180,000 arrivals in seven years.
And what about the Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) that the government is proud of returning?
Not only is the government failing to return to the pre-Covid levels of over 6,000 FNOs deported each year, it is failing to put a dent into the actual FNO prison population.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch, says:
The government can boast all it likes but two-thirds of removals, by their own admission are voluntary. The reality is, as the record numbers crossing the Channel in recent days have shown, Keir Starmer’s policies are attracting not deterring. Thousands will continue coming knowing that once they are here, it is highly unlikely they will ever be deported. Get a grip Sir Keir.
So, when the government’s press release asks the question, ‘What is the government doing to tackle illegal immigration?’ – the answer speaks for itself. Not enough.