Nigel Farage erupts over Keir Starmer's 'devious and dishonest' migrant claim

Sir Keir Starmer's claim that Brexit fuelled the Channel migrant crisis is an "extraordinarily devious and dishonest effort to mislead the British people", Nigel Farage has declared. The Prime Minister labelled the dinghies "Farage boats" as the war of words over immigration intensified on Wednesday.

But the Reform UK leader, writing exclusively for the Daily Express, warned that Sir Keir "turned the truth on its head" by defending the EU's Dublin Convention, which allowed countries to remove asylum seekers to the first member state they arrived in. Mr Farage declared: "The Prime Minister has once again turned the truth on its head by trying to blame Brexit - and me - for the thousands of illegal immigrants landing on our shores.

"Keir Starmer says he 'would gently point out to Nigel Farage and others that before we left the EU, we had a returns agreement with every country in the EU' to send back asylum seekers.

"He even called the boats now crossing the Channel filled with illegal immigrants 'Farage boats'.

"Let me point out to Starmer, none-too-gently, that even by Labour's standards, this is an extraordinarily devious and dishonest effort to mislead the British people.

"Until 2020, when the UK left the European Union, the Dublin Convention did allow us to try to return some illegal immigrants to other EU member states.

"But they could also return asylum seekers to us. And as with so many EU deals, Britain got the worse end of the bargain."

The Prime Minister said Britain left the EU without a migrant returns deal.

But EU member states agreed to replace the Dublin Convention with the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation because they were concerned some countries were overwhelmed, with others refusing to take migrants back.

The UK has not been included in that deal. Some within the Government hope the Government's one-in, one-out deal with France could eventually be mirrored with other European countries.

Leaders on the continent want to spread the number of asylum seekers more evenly.

The defence of the Dublin Convention sparked fury last night, with an average of just 560 people removed from the UK each year between 2008 and 2020.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Starmer's claims are absurd.

"Under Dublin, we received more people than we removed.

"The majority of illegal Channel migrants could not be removed under Dublin, and legal challenges made removing any very hard.

"Only a handful were ever removed under Dublin.

"Keir Starmer proposes to maintain the legal structures that prevented many people being removed under Dublin. Starmer and his human rights lawyer friends are part of the problem."

The Prime Minister has vowed to scrap the "golden ticket" to life in the UK, declaring that migrants must "earn" settlement, rather than "paying a people smuggler".

Successful asylum seekers granted refugee status will have to wait longer to apply for indefinite leave to remain, under new plans.

Bringing it closer to new requirements for legal arrivals, refugees could have to work, learn English, have a clean criminal record and contribute to their communities to earn indefinitive leave to remain.

And those who want to bring their family members to the UK could have to satisfy a financial requirement, such as a salary threshold or a minimum amount of savings, to qualify.

Similar measures have been adopted by other European Governments.

The UK hopes that by effectively lowering what the UK offers, fewer migrants will attempt to cross the Channel.

A Government source said: "We are acknowledging that there are people who are 'asylum shopping' across the continent, looking for the country that offers them the most.

"We have been criticised in this country for being too generous - creating a pull factor. Today, the Government is showing that we get it, that we have been overly generous, and that we will reduce the pull factors that see thousands attempting small boat crossings."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to confirm the requirements in the coming weeks.

New reforms could see successful asylum seekers being told to wait longer to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Refugees will also be stripped of their automatic rights to bring family members to the UK.

Under previous rules, asylum seekers could include the names of their partners and children on their applications.

If they were granted protection, the dependants could live in the UK for the same length of time as the person seeking refuge.

But they could be made to wait longer or told to meet a financial requirement to ensure they can pay their way, without relying on benefits, if they want to bring their family members over.

The Prime Minister wants to only give refugees "core protections" to prevent migrants 'asylum shopping'.

Migrants could also be barred from getting ILR if their home country has become safer since they were granted refugee status.

Because refugee status typically lasts for five-years before people are expected to apply for ILR, they could be returned to their home country if it is safe.

Downing Street said the "changes will bring an end to the unfair system that sees those crossing the Channel in a small boat having greater rights to settlement and family reunion than those who arrive through proper legal routes and even British citizens."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "The rights offered to those who come here in a small boat, or overstay their visa, and are granted asylum are far more generous than what we offer to those who follow the rules and come here legally.

"Automatically bringing your family here, getting settlement after just five years. It's an incentive to make that perilous journey, and undermine our border in the process.

"It shouldn't be controversial that if you want to come to the UK, you should contribute to our society. That is the tolerant and fair approach to migration that our communities are built on, but the current system is not fit for purpose.

"That is why we're making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK. Settlement must be earned by contributing to our country, not by paying a people smuggler to cross the Channel in a boat.

"The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution. But we must also address the so-called pull factors driving dangerous and illegal small-boat crossings. There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it."

The Prime Minister is desperately trying to seize the initiative on immigration from Mr Farage, as concerns over migrant hotels and the Channel small boats crisis intensified following a record-breaking first eight months of the year.

It has led to a bitter battle between Sir Keir and Mr Farage, which culminated in the Labour leader branding his rival the "enemy" and launching an attack over small boats.

Mr Farage hit back by accusing the PM of inciting violence against him and Reform politicians.

The Prime Minister also sensationally admitted that his one-in, one-out deal with Emmanuel Macron had been a flop so far.

More than 34,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year, while just six have been removed to France.

Sir Keir told GB News: "Well, the returns agreement with France is important because we need to establish that if you come by boat, you will be returned to France.

"I accept the numbers are low.

"We had to prove the concept and prove that it could work. We've now done that. But now we need to ramp that up.

"I would gently point out to Nigel Farage and others that before we left the EU, we had a returns agreement with every country in the EU.

"And he told the country it will make no difference if we left.

"Well, he was wrong about that. These are Farage boats in many senses, that are coming across the Channel."

Only six small boat migrants have been sent from the UK back to France, including an Afghan and a Somali who were sent to the continent on Thursday morning, while 11,866 people have made the crossing in a small boat from France to the UK.