Labour’s New Border Security Plan Could Offer a Solution to the Ongoing Channel Crisis
As international attention shifts elsewhere this week, Sir Keir Starmer has seized the opportunity to push forward with his strategy aimed at tackling the persistent issue of small boat crossings in the English Channel. On Monday, he unveiled an additional £150 million in funding for his crime-fighting border security command, aimed at addressing the growing crisis, though experts remain sceptical about its potential impact on reducing illegal migration and small boat arrivals.
This announcement comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to visit Hungary to discuss new agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo, focusing on increasing intelligence-sharing to combat organised immigration crime. Yet, questions remain about the long-term effectiveness of these approaches.
The Conservative government’s previous tactics have yielded mixed results. While the threat of deportation to Rwanda failed to significantly reduce the number of people attempting the perilous Channel crossing, a partnership forged with Albania showed some promise. In 2022, over 12,600 Albanians arrived in the UK via small boats, a sharp increase from 800 in the previous year. However, in 2023-2024, this number decreased following the signing of a bilateral agreement between the UK and Albania, though experts caution that the drop could be due to a range of factors, not solely the deal.
Building on this success, Labour plans to enhance international collaboration on irregular migration and increase funding for border security, with the goal of further curbing illegal crossings. This issue has been a priority for successive Conservative governments, but the number of asylum seekers arriving in the UK continues to rise. In fact, more than 5,400 people crossed the Channel in small boats just last month—the highest number since October 2022.
Under Sunak’s leadership, the government has allocated £500 million to the French police for enhanced border surveillance equipment, including drones, binoculars, and dash-cams. Despite this, migrants have adapted by launching boats from less-patrolled beaches along the coast, increasing their journey’s danger. As a result, 2024 has become the deadliest year on record for Channel migrant deaths, with over 65 fatalities.
In northern France, charities report escalating violence against migrants, with police routinely dismantling their makeshift camps. This harsh treatment often prompts more people to take the dangerous journey across the Channel, in search of safer conditions. Some local aid organisations argue that the real solution would be offering migrants safe, legal pathways to apply for asylum in the UK, which would eliminate the need for smugglers and the risk of dangerous boat journeys.
However, both Labour and the Conservative Party have dismissed the idea of providing safe routes for small boat migrants to apply for asylum, citing the political infeasibility of such measures. Critics, such as the charity Care4Calais, have labelled the new border security plan “expensive, unworkable, and deadly,” warning that the ongoing crackdown is failing to address the root causes of migration and is leading to more suffering for those caught in the system.
As the UK grapples with its approach to managing small boat crossings, the question remains: will Starmer’s plan bring the change that’s needed, or will it merely continue the cycle of failed tactics in tackling the Channel crisis?
