2025 is on track to be the worst year in history for illegal Channel crossings, and the Prime Minister is left scrambling, writes Chris Philp
16 May 2025, 05:20 | Updated: 16 May 2025, 07:37
Keir Starmer stood in Albania, flanked by cameras, dripping with self-importance. He flew out to show strength, but he has delivered nothing.
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Meanwhile, back home, the crisis deepens. 2025 is on track to be the worst year in history for illegal Channel crossings, and the Prime Minister is left scrambling.
The Rwanda deterrent sent a clear message - if you arrive illegally, you will not be allowed to stay. Even the National Crime Agency said a deterrent like Rwanda was essential. Yet one of Starmer’s first acts in government was to rip it up and in doing so, he has welcomed thousands of illegal immigrants to our country with open arms.
Starmer never cared about stopping illegal migration, he called border laws racist, campaigned against deporting foreign criminals, and dismantled every tough measure we put in place. Now he’s flailing to hide the chaos. But the boats keep coming because the traffickers know the truth - Starmer won’t stop them.
He flew to Albania clinging to the success the Conservative Party delivered in government, pretending he invented it. In government, we struck a real deal with Albania, and it worked. Small boat arrivals from Albania dropped by over 90%. Starmer had nothing to do with it.
Labour’s policy has been total failure. The crossings have surged, the criminals are adapting, and the system has buckled. Enough. We need a government that acts with intent.
That’s why we’ve brought forward the Deportation Bill.
Real legislation with real teeth. It does what Labour won’t. It shuts the door to illegal entry and restores control over who comes to this country and who doesn’t.
If you come here illegally, you will be removed. Automatically. No hiding behind loopholes, no fake asylum claims, no grown men posing as 15-year-olds claiming school places meant for our children.
This Bill would disapply the Human Rights Act in immigration matters. Shutting down the racket of lawyers turning loopholes into business models and putting power back with Parliament and the elected ministers accountable to the British people.
It would double the residency requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain. End the scandal of short-term stays turning into lifetime entitlements. And to qualify for ILR after ten years, migrants would need to meet strict conditions. No benefits, no social housing, no dependency. Only those who have contributed would be eligible to stay. A net contributor test would apply on a household basis, with higher thresholds where dependents are involved. Because permanent settlement is a privilege. It must be earned.
It would introduce a legally binding cap on migration, voted on by Parliament. Shut down sham marriages, block exploitative cousin-marriage visas, and give ministers the power to revoke ILR from those who sponge off the system.
Only those who are net contributors to this country and not those dependent on the welfare state, will be eligible for ILR. No more automatic rewards for those who take without giving back.
Labour have opposed every serious measure we have put forward at every step. But every one of these measures is rooted in common sense. This tough new piece of legislation shows that the Conservatives are serious about tackling the challenges of legal and illegal migration.
Labour don’t believe in borders. And when those systems fail, they retreat into noise, into “lessons learned” reports, while the chaos continues outside.
The British people want a government that knows the difference between compassion and cowardice. Real compassion means protecting our borders so we can protect the vulnerable. It means saying no when no is needed. And means defending public services from those who never paid into the system but are first to take from it.
So, Labour MPs now face a choice. Back our Bill or stand in its way. If they block it, they must go home and tell their constituents:
Yes, I voted to keep the boats coming.
Yes, I voted to protect the rights of criminals over the rights of victims.
Yes, I voted against the people I’m supposed to represent.
The choice before the country is no longer left or right - it's strength or surrender. And if Labour won’t defend this nation, the Conservative Party will.
We are not here to manage decline. We need to turn it around. Because to govern is to protect, and we will never forget who we serve.
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Chris Philp is the Shadow Home Secretary and the MP for Croydon South
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