Keir Starmer to meet EU law enforcement in plan to ‘smash migrant gangs and secure borders’

Labour would take migrants from Europe as part of a proposed UK-EU deal to try to stop the small boats crisis.

People-smuggling should be treated “on a par” with terrorism, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he promised new measures aimed at preventing small boat crossings if Labour wins the next general election.

However, Sir Keir would not be drawn on the number of asylum seekers he would be happy to take in under a deal with the European Union.

“The first stage is how do you work with police forces across countries to ensure that you stop people getting into the boats in the first place, and smash this vile trade,” he said.

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