UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to start discussions with other countries about establishing “return hubs” for failed asylum seekers. Speaking from Albania during an official visit, he emphasized that these hubs would facilitate the return process for individuals who have gone through the UK system but need to be deported. The move comes amid pressure to reduce irregular migrant arrivals, particularly those arriving by small boats, as anti-immigrant sentiments grow in the UK.
Under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, the UK abandoned a plan to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda last July. Addressing irregular migration was a key focus during his recent two-day visit to Southeast Europe. Earlier this week, Starmer announced stricter immigration policies, including reducing overseas care workers, increasing the time before migrants can qualify for settlement, and granting new powers to deport foreign criminals. These measures aim to counter rising support for anti-immigrant parties like Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which gained ground in recent local elections. Labour’s manifesto last year pledged to sharply cut net migration, which reached 728,000 in the year to June 2023, up from an average of 200,000 in the 2010s. The UK continues to see high levels of both legal and irregular migration, with over 12,500 migrants making dangerous Channel crossings so far this year.