Starmer is in Albania talking about tackling smuggling gangs. While doing some last-minute negotiations with the EU…
The PM now says failed asylum seekers should go to “return hubs” once appeal avenues are exhausted. Balkan countries are looking the most likely…
Not a massive deterrent: Once a decision is given and there is no case the migrant would be sent to a third-party hub. Before being sent back home…
Starmer said to GB News:
“What now we want to do and are having discussions of, talks of, is return hubs which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, 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. 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. 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.”
Has Starmer heard of an old thing called the Rwanda plan?
UPDATE: Albanian PM Edi Rama says no:
“I have been very clear since day one when we started this process with Italy that this was a one off with Italy because of our very close relation but also because of the geographical situation which makes a lot of sense. We have been asked by several countries if we are open to it and we said no because we are loyal to the marriage with Italy.”
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”