Starmer Warns Migrants Paying Smugglers to Help Them Reach the UK: ‘You’re Wasting Your Money, You’ll Be Sent Back

Keir Starmer has claimed success in deporting a record number of refused asylum seekers and foreign criminals since ending the Rwanda deportation scheme, using terms that have upset human rights groups.

According to government data, enforced deportations have increased by 24% compared to the previous year. Since July, 2,580 deported individuals were overseas criminals, marking a 23% rise from last year.

Starmer argued that quick deportations are a stronger deterrent than the expensive Rwanda scheme, which would have cost £600 million to relocate 300 people to Kigali. “For those paying smugglers, the message is clear: you’re wasting your money because you’ll be sent back,” Starmer said. “The last six months show record returns – 16,400 people who shouldn’t be in the UK. It’s the highest number in years because this government is focusing on effective measures rather than wasteful schemes like Rwanda.”

James Wilson from Detention Action criticized the language used, calling it dehumanizing. He warned that rushed deportations could harm families, separating children from parents and removing individuals who have lived in the UK since childhood. Wilson welcomed quicker asylum processing but emphasized the need for fair evaluations and safe migration routes to avoid dangerous journeys.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper set a target to surpass 2018 deportation numbers by reallocating immigration staff to remove individuals directly to their home countries after Labour ended the Rwanda policy. Conservatives criticized the decision, with Kemi Badenoch arguing the Rwanda plan would have discouraged migrants from paying smugglers for Channel crossings.

On Thursday, Starmer announced a new sanctions plan targeting people smugglers. He said the sanctions would seize smugglers’ UK assets, prosecute them, and impose prison sentences, creating a deterrent. “The gangs’ motivation is money, so we’ll take their profits, put them on trial, and send them to prison,” Starmer explained.

However, Conservatives claimed Labour’s efforts were insufficient, noting that only a small portion of migrants arriving since July had been deported. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued, “Labour is misleading the public. These deportations mostly aren’t related to small boat crossings. The Rwanda scheme would have been a real deterrent, but Labour stopped it before it began.”

Meanwhile, the Home Office stated that 16,400 “immigration offenders and foreign criminals” had been deported since July, marking the highest six-month total since 2018.