Labour’s plans for migration pale in comparison to scrapped Rwanda plan, top Tory warns

LABOUR plans for migration deals pale in comparison to the Rwanda plan, the PM was warned last night.

The Home Office is said to be eyeing security agreements with source countries like Vietnam and Iraqi Kurdistan to stop small boat crossings.

Government insiders played down fears this would involve paying large sums to nations on smuggling routes, as Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni has done with African states.

They say it would involve training local police there, stationing National Crime Agency officials, and a communications blitz to warn against ruthless gangs.

But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued none of these details would work as a deterrent for migrants.

The Tory MP told Sky: “To deter people, they need to know that if they illegally and dangerously cross the Channel, they’re going to be immediately removed.

“And that’s what Rwanda did. These deals don’t do that.”

En route to the G20 summit in Brazil last night, Sir Keir Starmer would not be drawn on a specific plan but said: “We have got to do everything we can.

“I am absolutely clear in my mind that taking down the gangs is the single most effective way of stopping the boats.

“Anything else we can do to stop people leaving in the first place is the right thing.

“Then obviously, the returns are very important when people do get here.”

It comes after The Sun on Sunday yesterday revealed that Donald Trump is considering deporting America’s illegal migrants to Rwanda.

It piles pressure on the PM’s decision to axe the Kigali removal scheme.

Questions have also been raised about Britain’s £500million deal with France, with latest figures showing their cops stopped just a third of crossing attempts.

Another 425 migrants arrived on Saturday in nine boats, bringing the total for the past week to 871.