Smuggling gangs have taken hold, Cooper says during border debate

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated during a House of Commons debate on border security that people smuggling gangs "have been allowed to get a foothold." She accused the previous Conservative government of failing to strengthen border enforcement as quickly as European countries, focusing instead on "failed gimmicks." This lack of decisive action, she argued, allowed criminal networks to flourish, exacerbating the current crisis.

Cooper's comments came as Labour's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill passed its first vote in the House of Commons. The bill scraps the Conservative's Rwanda scheme and strengthens police powers to tackle smugglers. Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the new plan a "Border Surrender Bill" and claimed it creates pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants. The Conservatives believe the Labour plan weakens border controls and incentivizes illegal immigration.

The debate followed a carefully orchestrated media blitz by the Home Office, which released the first photographs of illegal immigrants being deported. This came after the Home Office also released footage of enforcement teams raiding 828 premises, including nail salons, car washes, and restaurants. They arrested 609 people, a 73% increase compared to January of the previous year. These actions are intended to demonstrate the government's commitment to tackling illegal immigration and enforcing the law.

Some Labour MPs, particularly on the party's left wing, argue that the government should focus on talking about the benefits of immigration and promoting safer routes for migrants. Former Labour Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott warned that the new approach risked making Cooper "sound like she is stigmatizing desperate migrants rather than building a fair system." Abbott believes that focusing solely on enforcement could alienate potential allies and undermine the party's broader goals.

Home Office Minister Chris Philp told the BBC that the government's approach was compassionate, and the release of arrest footage was simply to convey information about the reality of illegal working. Labour has been heavily promoting its immigration crackdown amid rising support for the Reform UK party in opinion polls. Reform UK MP Richard Tice said that immigration was the "number one issue because it's out of control." He argued that reducing immigration numbers was "vital for the majority of British people." The Reform UK party continues to push for even stricter immigration controls.

As the House of Commons debate began, the Home Office released new data showing that the UK had removed 18,987 people, including criminals and failed asylum seekers, since Labour came to power in July. Of these removals, only 5,074 were categorized as enforced removals, according to our understanding. This suggests that the remainder were voluntary departures. The new removal figures are higher than the same period last year but lower than the seven-month period from 2010 to 2016, when removals exceeded 20,000. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the new figures as insignificant compared to the numbers entering the country. He argues that the current rate of removals is insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

The Border Bill outlines Labour's plans to treat people smugglers as terrorists, a promise they made repeatedly in the last election. Drawing on powers from the Terrorism Act 2000, the bill criminalizes "precursor" offenses, allowing officials to punish legitimate activities connected to illegal immigration, such as selling small boats or outboard engines. The bill also establishes a new offense of endangering others in illegal Channel crossings. This is intended to deter people on small boats from refusing assistance. Immigration enforcement teams will also be given new powers to seize mobile phones. The government hopes that these measures will deter people smuggling and protect vulnerable migrants.

Some immigration rights groups have criticized the measures, arguing that they criminalize vulnerable people rather than people smugglers. Labour argues that it will be a more effective way of tackling small boat crossings than the previous government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. The bill also repeals much of the Conservative's Illegal Migration Act 2023, which provided the legal basis for the Rwanda policy. Under Labour's plan, a new Border Security Command will be given more powers, and a new director will be appointed to oversee closer links between intelligence services, police, and border officials. This coordinated approach is designed to improve border security and combat illegal immigration.

The bill passed its first vote in the House of Commons by 333 votes to 109 but still faces months of debate and hurdles before becoming law. Labour's majority in the House of Commons virtually guarantees the passage of most of the measures. MPs also rejected a Conservative attempt to veto the bill, defeating their amendment by 354 votes to 115. The bill's passage through Parliament is expected to be contentious, with significant debate on its various provisions.

Cooper positioned the bill as a decisive step in restoring "credibility" to the UK's immigration and asylum system. "These gangs have been allowed to get a foothold for six years," Cooper said. The Conservative government "failed to act quickly with France and other countries to strengthen enforcement or stop these gangs getting a foothold, instead, criminals were let off the hook." She told MPs: "It will take time to loosen this grip and to smash the networks behind them, but there is no alternative but to work to hunt down the networks of criminals who have been operating with impunity for far too long. And there is no alternative to working with international partners to tackle this international crime, building new alliances to take on organized crime, rather than just standing on the shoreline shouting at the sea." The Home Secretary emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to address the issue of illegal immigration.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Philp called the plans "a weak bill from a weak government." He criticized Labour for scrapping much of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, including the Rwanda scheme and the sections preventing those entering the UK illegally from gaining citizenship. "I think a bill that creates pathways to citizenship for illegal migrants and removes the government's duty to remove those who have entered illegally is a shocking piece of legislation," he said. Philp believes that Labour's approach will undermine border security and encourage illegal immigration.

Philp reiterated the Conservative's commitment to setting a cap on immigration numbers – a pledge that several former Conservative Prime Ministers have made but never delivered on. "What we need is a binding cap that Parliament can vote on so Parliament can decide how many visas are issued each year," he added. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, Lisa Smart, said the current system "isn't working for anyone" and argued that Labour's bill fails to provide a "humane, legal, and effective framework" for immigration and asylum. She said the government needs to expand safe and legal routes for asylum seekers and process applications "so that those with a right to be here can integrate and contribute, and those who don't can return swiftly," she argued. Smart advocates for a more balanced approach that combines border security with humanitarian considerations.