You’ll struggle to find one of my social media posts that doesn’t attract at least one comment about “stopping the boats”. It’s an issue that many people care deeply about, and understandably so.
But the truth is: we are stopping the boats.
I know that doesn’t fit the narrative some people want to push that Labour is weak on immigration, but the latest figures show a very different picture. Small boat crossings are at their lowest level in years, and August recorded the lowest figures since records began. At the same time, joint operations with France have prevented tens of thousands of attempted crossings, while enforcement agencies have significantly increased action against the criminal gangs behind this trade.
And it’s those gangs that we should be talking about.
Britain has always been a country that offers asylum to people fleeing war, persecution and conflict, and I believe that should continue. What we should never tolerate, however, are the organised criminal gangs that exploit vulnerable people, charge them huge sums of money, and send them on dangerous journeys across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Many residents have contacted me over the past year about illegal immigration, small boat crossings and the pressure a broken asylum system places on communities and taxpayers. Those concerns are legitimate, and that’s why it’s important to look at what is actually changing.
Since the General Election, more than 80,000 people with no right to remain in the UK have been removed or returned, including almost 12,000 foreign national offenders. The asylum system is also being sped up, with a new target designed to reduce the lengthy delays that have left people waiting for decisions for years. That means faster removals for those whose claims are unsuccessful and quicker decisions for those genuinely entitled to protection.
We’re also making progress in ending the widespread use of asylum hotels. Numbers have fallen significantly from their peak, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds and helping to restore confidence in the system.
None of this means the job is done. There is still more to do, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But I believe we can take a firm approach to border security while remaining compassionate towards people who are genuinely fleeing persecution and conflict.
A fair immigration system should be able to do both: secure our borders and uphold our values.
The challenges haven’t disappeared overnight, but real progress is being made. That’s why I’ll continue supporting measures that strengthen border security, crack down on criminal gangs, enforce the rules fairly and build an immigration system that is firm, fair and sustainable.