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Keir Starmer unveils new illegal migrant scheme which ships failed asylum seekers abroad… despite his fury over Rwanda
Around 100,000 asylum seekers are currently believed to be in the UK
SIR Keir Starmer today confirmed he is seeking to deport failed asylum seekers to third countries despite scrapping the Rwanda scheme.
Speaking in Albania, the PM said he is in "talks" over setting up "Return Hubs" to house those who have exhausted their attempts to stay in Britain but refuse to return to their country of origin.
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But in a blow to Starmer, the Albanian PM immediately ruled out hosting a British return hub.
Asked if he would replicate his deal with Italy to host migrants, PM Edi Rama said: "I have said from the outset, it is is a model takes its time to be tested and if it works it can be replicated but not in Albania but other countries in the region.. if it works no reason other countries should not offer it."
He added: "To be very frank with you we have been asked by many countries but we said no, as we are loyal to our marriage with Italy."
Source says the scheme is designed to act as "a deterrent to those wasting time to remain in the UK."
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Officials say it will incentivise people to return to their own country rather than attempt to stay in Britain for as long as possible.
The PM said: "They need to be returned and we have to make sure they’re returned effectively and we’ll do that, if we can, through return hubs."
It's understood a number of Balkans states are being considered including Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia with talks in early stages.
Speaking to GB News the PM added: “So that’s what the talks are about. I would say in this area no single measure is going to be the measure that is, if you like, a silver bullet.
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“By putting it all together - arrests, seizures, agreements with other countries, returning people who shouldn’t be here, and return hubs, if we can through these talks to add to our armoury, will allow us to bear down on this vile trade and to make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel.”
Around 100,000 asylum seekers are currently believed to be in the UK, with just 3 per cent of small boat arrivals returned home since the crisis erupted in 2018.
Even failed asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal options to stay in Britain sometimes cannot be deported because their home countries will not take them.
Migrants from hostile states like Taliban-run Afghanistan or the Mullah-led Iran - who have made up many small boat arrivals - are especially difficult to return and take time.
Others try to find eleventh-hour avenues to stay in the UK such as getting married or having kids, or even destroying their passports so it is impossible to know where they are from.
Under the PM’s plans these migrants would be sent to a third country like Albania while return to their home country is arranged so they cannot exploit loopholes to remain in Britain.
Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled a sweeping immigration overhaul - vowing to -finally take back control of our borders
Ministers hope this will dramatically slash the ballooning costs of asylum hotels that is set to sting taxpayers for around £15.3billion over a 10-year period.
They also believe being sent to a less attractive country in Eastern Europe will incentivise migrants to make their own way home.
Sir Keir insists this is different from the Tories’ Rwanda plan that he axed on his first day in the job.
That scheme would have seen all illegal migrants sent to Kigali to begin a new life even if their asylum claim was later accepted.
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The PM is struggling to get a grip on illegal migration as 12,000 small boat arrivals have already crossed from France this year - a record number.
Labour was thrashed in the local elections by Nigel Farage’s Reform, whose hardline stance has seen them open up a hefty poll lead.
How are Starmer’s return hubs different from Rwanda?
SIR Keir Starmer has announced plans to send failed asylum seekers in Britain to third countries.
While details are so far vague, it will see migrants sent to one of these “returns hubs” once all legal routes to stay in the UK have been exhausted.
From there, attempts will be made to send them back to their country of origin, which can be tricky.
Ministers hope many will make their own way back rather than stay in the third country, which will likely be one of the Balkan states.
It is unclear how much Britain will pay for the scheme, but No10 is confident it will be cheaper than housing migrants in hotels.
No10 is also adamant that the scheme is different from the axed Rwanda plan.
Under that policy, all illegal migrants would be sent to Kigali to have their asylum claims processed.
But there was no route back to the UK, even for those whose asylum claims were legitimate.
Instead, Britain would pay Rwanda to resettle the migrants in the East African nation, where they would be expected to start a new life.
The Tory policy was heavily challenged in the courts, which meant nobody was forcibly removed there.
Ministers say the returns hub programme would be much less legally contentious, and has been backed by the UN.
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