- By Chris Mason
- Political teacher
One word is at the heart of the political spat between the Prime Minister and Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer when it comes to unauthorized immigration.
The issue of small boats crossing the English Channel is so controversial that even the wording of the title is controversial.
There are asylum seekers who have applied for refugee status and are awaiting a decision. There are refugees. There is illegal immigration. Overlapping descriptions and labels, many of which provoke anger and resentment.
So for that word – sorry. Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Gair seek to weaponize it, seeing it as a negative point about their opponent.
The Labor leader accused Mr Sunak of a “travellodge amnesty” – those who arrived on small boats and are illegal immigrants under UK law. They have left UK hotels in a mess at considerable cost to the taxpayer.
Incidentally, Sir Keir did this while expressing an unprecedented confidence in him.
It’s not just his demeanor on stage, but his willingness to strictly tout a conservative idea — the Small Boats Operational Command — that he says is building. And praise a conservative cabinet minister, Justice Secretary Alex Sack.
I thought it was the equivalent of a man with the air of an heir.
A man who – after those local election results and his second defection from the Conservatives to his party in a fortnight – may feel closer to becoming prime minister than ever before.
Sir Keir’s Conservative branding of a “travellodge amnesty” is an attempt to push back on the Tory interpretation of Labour’s plan to allow small boat arrivals to apply for asylum.
Yes, you guessed it, conservatives describe that as an amnesty too.
Both leaders clearly see a political value in projecting an aggression on the topic and portraying their opponent as weak and soft.
The bigger picture here, both of them agree, and illustrated in this example, is that it’s more complicated and there’s no panic on offer.
What do you do about people’s massive backlash? How to create obstacles to cross the channel? Are inhibitors even possible?
How about fairness and justice for people thinking of crossing, for people seeking a legal route to the UK and for British taxpayers? Are international legal frameworks, domestic laws or agreements with other countries up to the challenge?
It is important to return more people who are not granted asylum to their country of origin.
BBC Verify has been looking at how this applies to the recent arrival of small boats.
Vietnamese people – 1,266 in total – and Afghans – 1,216 – have been the top two nationalities arriving in the UK by this route so far this year.
The next most common nationalities to arrive this way from January 1 to April 21, 2024 are Iranians, Syrians and Eritreans.
Of these five countries, the government only has a readmission agreement with Vietnam, so ministers in this government or one in the future will have to negotiate agreements with the other four countries if asylum seekers’ claims are rejected.
Also, none of them are currently on the government’s list of people who can be safely repatriated, a further potential challenge.
Mr Sunak, Sir Keir and others are winning arguments and winning confidence on the most difficult, emotional, diplomatic and political issues – and fighting for solutions. Partial, can prove long-winded and expensive.
