Former MEP Steven Woolfe has launched a scathing attack on Labour’s decision to scrap the Rwanda policy, calling it “a terrible idea” and warning it removes the “only effective deterrent” against Channel crossings.
Speaking to GB News, Woolfe highlighted that over 150,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since 2018.
The criticism comes as hundreds more migrants continue to arrive on British shores, with recent crossings occurring on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and December 27 – the first time since 2018 that crossings have been recorded on all these dates.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has similarly blamed Labour’s decision to abandon the Rwanda scheme, while the Prime Minister has emphasised international cooperation with European law enforcement agencies as his preferred approach.
Steven Woolfe blasted the idea as “terrible”
GB News
Speaking to GB News, Woolfe said: “Scrapping Rwanda was a terrible idea and it because it was the only real deterrent. And now it has raised the numbers of over 150,000 have crossed the channel by the small boats since 2018.
“If you put that in context, that’s like a city the size of Portsmouth unitary or Gateshead, for example.
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“That ignores those that have come across in other ways, whether they’ve come on planes and also those who are still coming in the back of lorries.
“That adds to the numbers and also excludes those who’ve come here on visas and overstayed.
“If you add those numbers up you’re getting including double that. So deterrence was a crucial element. Rwanda was a major part of that.
“If it was allowed to get off the ground and now you have the body set up by the Labour Party admitting that you will not be able to stop the boats or indeed stop the criminals unless you have such a Rwanda style deterrence.
The number of small boat crossings is ramping up
PA
“That’s what I want to see from the Labour Party next year, I won’t hold my breath that they’ll have a deterrence policy.”
GB News has revealed that 1,300 illegal migrants have crossed the English Channel since Christmas Day, with hundreds more arriving today.
The Home Office confirmed 305 people arrived yesterday in five small boats.
Boxing Day saw 407 migrants make the crossing, while Christmas Day recorded 451 arrivals.
Steven Woolfe spoke to Nana Akua on GB News
GB News
Today, five small boats have already crossed from France, carrying at least 250 migrants.
The total number of arrivals in the UK this year has now reached 36,500, marking a 25 per cent increase compared to last year.
Thick fog in the Channel has created hazardous conditions, with a senior Maritime source warning that large container ships cannot see the small boats.
