Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has launched a scathing attack on Labour's approach to tackling migration, claiming the government has failed to stem the flow of small boat crossings.
Speaking to GB News, Stride highlighted that 12,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, which he described as "a record this year, under a government that said it was going to reverse those numbers."
His comments come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Albania to announce an expanded crackdown on migrant smuggling gangs in the Balkans.
Stride told GB News: "Dublin III, which we were a part of when we were members of the European Union, allowed those effects to take place.
Mel Stride blasted the governments latest move
GB NEWS
"Not only us sending people to other countries, but also other countries being able to send migrants to us in return.
"The reality is, we've left the European Union. But the key to controlling migration, specifically illegal migration, is to have a clear deterrent. Rwanda would have delivered that.
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"Labour scrapped it and wasted all the money and effort that had been put into establishing it. Now we're seeing record numbers: 12,000 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel this year.
"That’s a record this year, under a government that said it was going to reverse those numbers.
"As for net migration, we need to see the government go much further. This week, we put forward some amendments to legislation that Labour voted down.
"Those amendments would have given Parliament control to set a clear cap on migration, an important part of managing that aspect effectively."
During his visit, Starmer is expected to express concerns about a "revolving door effect" where returned migrants evade authorities and attempt to leave again.
The government will expand a programme to detect migrants using fake documents, with the UK donating new anti-forgery machines.
Additionally, £1m will be invested in DNA technology to detect serious criminals in the UK.
The PM will also announce the expansion of a joint migration taskforce to include North Macedonia and Montenegro, with the National Crime Agency sharing intelligence with local law enforcement.
12,000 migrants have made the dangerous crossing this year so far
GB NEWSThe Prime Minister's visit builds on work initiated by the previous Conservative government, which the Labour leader has acknowledged as a success story in tackling migration at source.
In 2022, arrivals from Albania accounted for around a third of all small boat arrivals - more than any other country.
Over the past three years, those numbers have been cut by 95 per cent, with the number of Albanians returned to their home country more than doubling to 5,294 last year.
Starmer is expected to say: "Global challenges need shared solutions, and the work the UK and Albania are doing together is delivering security for working people in both countries."
He will add that "intervening upstream to protect British shores and secure our borders is the right approach."
