Small boat people smugglers should be treated like terrorists attacking Britain, declares Sir Keir Starmer
SMALL boat people smugglers should be treated like terrorists attacking Britain, Sir Keir Starmer declares today.
The Labour boss promises Sun readers he will smash “the evil criminal gangs making a mockery of us all” were he to win power next year.
He wants to set up a new Cross-Border Police force that can swoop on people smugglers in whichever European country they operate – with British boots on the continent.
And he vows to change the law to mean people smugglers can be detained on the same basis as terror suspects and have their movement restricted.
Today the opposition chief will meet with European crimefighters Europol in the Hague to unveil plans for his small boat fighting force.
They would team up with British spooks from GCHQ to monitor gangs plans.
The new “Security Agreement with Europe” is the opposition chief’s first major intervention on the illegal migration storm blighting Britain’s coast and hotels.
He told The Sun last night: “We rightly talk about the importance of climate change, terrorism and hostile foreign powers when it comes to our national security.
“But we now need to put dealing with the threat of people smugglers on the same footing.”
However his proposed deal will need the sign off from the EU – opening the door to more testy talks with Brussels.
Sir Keir will pitch the idea at talks with French president Emanuel Macron in Paris next week.
Labour say will fund the scheme with the money currently earmarked for the Rwanda deportation plan – that has yet to see a single channel migrant deported to the African state for processing.
Sir Keir told the Sun last night that his record as Britain’s chief prosecutor banging up drug dealers and terrorists means he is perfectly placed to tackle the boat crisis.
A Labour source added: “Keir has been there and done this before, he knows the criminal gang playbook and how to smash their business model .
“As DPP he brought international agencies together to intercept global drug networks, and stop gun smuggling at source.
“He gets that they’re organised, well resourced and ruthless in their tactics. As Prime Minister he’ll be twice as ruthless in breaking them up. UK borders will be secure with him.”