Sir Keir Starmer has been told that a post-Brexit migrant return deal with the EU is “not going to happen”.
Leading politicians in Hungary’s governing Fidesz party said they would not be dragged in the “unfeasible” agreement, which needs the support of all 27 European Union member states.
Zoltan Kovacs, Viktor Orban’s international spokesman and a minister, told the Telegraph: “It’s not going to happen because it is unfeasible. We never will be engaged, I think, in this kind of scheme.
“My first reaction would be that you don’t even take it as a negotiation into the negotiation booth… we can talk about everything, but it’s not going to work.”
Fidesz MEP András László also told the publication: “The EU’s migration system is currently falling apart. EU countries should first fix the mess in the Schengen area.”
Kovacs said that even if the UK offered to pay towards the upkeep of Hungary’s southern border fence with Serbia, that still would not change their minds on a migrant return deal.
Britain cannot legally return migrants to France or any other EU member state due to Brexit, when it left the bloc’s Dublin Regulation.
This allowed EU members to return asylum seekers to the first safe member state they arrive in, be it Hungary, or Greece, Italy or Spain.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “International cooperation is vital to smash the criminal smuggling gangs.
“We are rebuilding strong relationships across Europe to address our common challenge of irregular migration. It is the first duty of any government to secure its borders.”
West Streeting shocked at comparison with Elon Musk: ‘Not what I was expecting this morning’
Wes Streeting has been left shocked at a comparison levied between him and Elon Musk.
Musk has been named as part of US President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
Appearing on Sky News earlier this morning, the Health Secretary was asked if he shares similar views on driving government efficiency.
Surprised at the question, he said: “That was not the comparison I was expecting this morning but there is an issue here about reform of public services.”
He then downplayed any suggestion of a potential meeting between the pair.
NHS chiefs will be FIRED if they don’t cut waiting times, Wes Streeting warns
Wes Streeting wants to incentivise NHS trusts to stop wasting public money
PA
NHS chiefs will be sacked if they do not cut waiting times, Wes Streeting has vowed.
The Health Secretary wants to hold the leaders of the worst hospitals accountable with a new system of performance league tables.
Managers at “persistently failing” NHS trusts will be sacked or denied pay rises with “turnaround teams” sent in as replacements.
This is a part of Streeting’s plan to incentivise NHS trusts to stop wasting public money.