Sir David Davis has launched a scathing attack on the Government's new migrant exchange agreement with France, dismissing it as ineffective in stopping Channel crossings.
The veteran Conservative MP and former Brexit Secretary told GB News: "No it won't stop the boats. They call it one in one out, it's actually 17 in one out. If it works, it's completely cost free to the French."
He argued the arrangement fails to provide any meaningful deterrent effect.
"From their point of view, they get rid of somebody and receive somebody, from our point of view, it won't actually work as deterrent," Davis said.
Keir Starmer's migrant exchange deal with France has been branded a 'disaster' by Sir David Davis
PA / GB News
Davis took aim at the Prime Minister's approach to international negotiations, suggesting he lacks the necessary firmness when dealing with foreign leaders.
"The simple truth is that the Prime Minister, he loves rubbing shoulders with international contemporaries, but he's not very good at deals with them. He's all together to supine, whether it's whether it's President Trump or President Macron. And this is a really bad outcome," he said.
The veteran MP, who stood against David Cameron for the Tory leadership in 2005, drew a stark comparison between France and Belgium's handling of illegal Channel crossings.
"Belgium in the last four years has cut illegal migration across the Channel by 90 per cent. And up until last year the French had gone up by about 25 per cent," Davis noted.
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The 'one in, one out' deal, announced on Thursday, allows Britain to deport some small boat arrivals to France whilst accepting migrants with UK family connections in returnPADavis contrasted the new arrangement unfavourably with the previous government's Rwanda scheme, despite acknowledging its flaws.
"The one thing about the Rwanda deal, which had its issues, but the one thing about it was it was clearly a deterrent," he stated.
He pointed to evidence of the Rwanda policy's deterrent effect, noting behavioural changes among migrants.
"When people thought it was going to happen, they either didn't get in the boats or if they're already here, they fled to Ireland. So this will not act as deterrent. It is a disaster, I'm afraid," Davis said.
Davis told GB News that Keir Starmer 'can not do deals' with foreign counterparts
GB News
Davis extended his criticism beyond the current Government, targeting the broader approach to immigration policy over recent decades.
"Every Government since Tony Blair's Government has used legal migration as a way of pumping up the economy. There's a problem that starts in the Treasury and we didn't put a stop to it," he said.
The former Brexit Secretary called for fundamental changes in how Britain addresses workforce needs.
"It requires a degree of determination. It also requires us being quite robust with our own business class and say to them, you've got to start training British workers for these jobs, you've got to start investing in people," Davis stated.