Michelle Dewberry has hit out at Labour’s “day one plan” to stop Channel migrant crossings.
The GB News star took aim at Dewbs & Co panelist Tom Bewick as he fleshed out Labour’s bid to halt the “vile trade” of illegal crossings if they are elected into Government.
Bewick opened up the discussion by hitting out at Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda migrant policy, designed to encourage people not to make the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats.
“People look at the Rwanda plan, it costs something like £165,000 per migrant to go out there”, he said.
Michelle Dewberry hit out at Labour's 'day one plans'
GB NEWS
“What I would like to see, day one of a Labour government is Macron and Keir Starmer negotiating a returns agreement.
“This has got to be resolved between Britain and France. We have French customs officials on our own territory.
The topic was cause for contention on GB News
GB NEWS
“British people watch these reports coming in from the beaches and what they see is French officials watching. The only way of stopping this vile trade is stopping this vile trade and doing this returns agreement, that is what the focus will be day one with a Labour government.”
Michelle was sceptical of Bewick’s hopes, branding them “fantasy island” as she responded to his proposal.
The migrant crisis continues to be a key issue heading into the General Election with both Labour and the Conservatives promising firm action.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has railed against the idea that migrants are waiting for a Labour government, instead arguing they are already heading over in large quantities.
Keir Starmer has been forced to defend Labour's plan to stop the boats
PAIn an LBC debate, Home Secretary James Cleverly said migrants are “queueing up in Calais” waiting for a Sir Keir Starmer-led Labour government to scrap the Rwanda asylum policy.
But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper cited record numbers of people crossing so far this year, saying: “Look at the facts, people are not waiting, they are arriving.”
The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel has hit a new record for the first six months of a calendar year.
Home Office figures show the provisional total for the year so far is already 12,901, before the end of June.
The previous record for arrivals in the six months from January to June was 12,747 in 2022. In the first half of 2023, arrivals were 11,433.