channel gangs 'will rub hands in glee'if Starmer gains power

PEOPLE smugglers smugglers will be "rubbing their hands with glee" if Sir Keir Starmer wins the General Election, the Home Secretary has warned.

- Sam Lister

James Cleverly said the criminal gangs trafficking migrants across the Channel will use the end of the Rwanda plan as a selling tactic around the world.

The Tories have promised that the first deportation flight to Kigali will leave on July 24 - if they hang on to power.

Mr Cleverly said: "People smugglers are vile and criminal, but they're not stupid.

"They market their criminal services via social media and they change their tactics in response to the UK Government's actions.

"A Labour Government led by a man with a history of being weak on immigration and the scrapping of the Rwanda scheme will be used as a selling point around the world.

Labour's immigration plan is just a rebranding of existing Home Office teams, and the scrapping of our key deterrent.

"The smugglers will be rubbing their hands with glee if Labour win this election." Small boat crossings hit a record high on Tuesday after 882 migrants entered the UK from France in a single day.

It takes the total number of arrivals so far this year to 12,313.