‘What will you do with them’ demands Rishi Sunak as Starmer fails to say how he’ll get illegal migrants out of UK
RISHI Sunak has demanded to know “What will you do with them?” after Keir Starmer failed to say how he’ll get illegal migrants out of the UK.
The PM said it’s “totally unfair” and an “affront” to the sense of fairness that if illegal migrants come here they won’t be able to stay.
He said: “I can tell people what I’m going to do – I’ll put them on planes.
“What will you do with them? Don’t surrender our borders to the Labour party.”
And Rishi won applause from the audience by saying Sir Keir is taking the “people for fools” on illegal immigration.
He demanded an answer if Sir Keir will do deals with the Ayatollahs in Iran and the Taliban in Afghanistan to send back illegal migrants.
The PM added that the UK will be the “soft touch of Europe” under a Labour government.
Rishi battered the Labour chief over his pledge to ditch the Rwanda deportation scheme in place of “smashing the gangs“.
A fired up Mr Sunak hit out: “I will tell you this, the Rwandan is a deterrent.
“You just have to listen to what the illegal migrants say themselves.
“One of them just said, ‘Most of us are still in France due to the fear we have about another’.
“One said ‘I won’t cross the channel until the Rwanda plan is destroyed.”
Referencing cult classic Jaws, he added: “If Labour win, the people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat.
But Labour leader Sir Keir insisted he can take down smuggling gangs to stop small boat crossings.
Starmer hit out at the “record numbers” coming across the Channel on the Tories’ watch.
He pointed out there is a “99 per cent chance” of not going to Rwanda – saying that isn’t a deterrent.
Sir Keir said: “I notice you called the election before any flights take off.”
He added: “The Prime Minister and government has effectively lost control of our borders.
“And that means it’s not just a border security issue, it’s actually a national security issue.”
The total number of small boat crossings this year is 13,047 which is nearly 10 per cent higher than the previous record year for arrivals in 2022.
What is the Rwanda plan?
RISHI Sunak's flagship policy is a plan to send asylum seekers to the east African nation of Rwanda.
The PM argues that only a strong deterrent will stop people illegally entering Britain to seek asylum.
But critics of the plan say asylum seekers should be processed on dry land to stop them crossing the Channel in the dangerous small boats.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the plan is ‘cruel, inhumane and unworkable’.
And Labour leader Keir Starmer said the plan is unworkable – pointing out immigration has risen under the Tories.
Meanwhile Rwanda’s ruler Paul Kagame said he would return money to the UK if no migrants are sent to his country.
The UK has paid £240m to Kigali, with an extra £50m to come, but no asylum seeker has been sent to the East African nation.
Asked why he was taking the funds, Mr Kagame said: “It’s only going to be used if those people will come.
“If they don’t come, we can return the money.”