Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to overhaul a “whole new system” for tackling the growing migrant crisis, following backlash over their latest showcase of the Government’s efforts.
Labour has sparked controversy by launching Facebook advertisements that appear to mimic Reform UK’s distinctive turquoise branding whilst promoting deportation figures.
Reacting to the adverts, prominent immigration lawyer Ivon Sampson has challenged the significance of these deportation figures in comments to GB News.
“Two-thirds of deportations are voluntary returns, and we’re paying up to £3,000 per person,” Sampson revealed.
Ivon Sampson has called on the Prime Minister to completely overhaul the system for illegal migrants
PA / GB News
He explained that these payments are made via cards that can only be used once individuals return to their home countries.
“So enforced removals are actually one-third. So the Government’s not being completely honest about the efforts they’re making,” he added.
Sampson highlighted the stark reality of current deportation rates against the scale of illegal immigration in the UK.
“If we’re removing 20,000 people a year, or even let’s say 50,000, we have 1.2 million people, estimated by the recent research, who are illegally in the UK now,” he stated.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Adverts by the Labour Party have begun to appear on Facebook, featuring deportation figures
At current removal rates, Sampson calculated it would take approximately 60 years to address the existing illegal immigration numbers. He dismissed the effectiveness of promotional campaigns about deportation figures as a deterrent.
“This problem will not be solved by showing videos, and I think probably they’re trying to use that as a deterrent. It will simply not work,” he said.
The lawyer emphasised that more people are currently entering than leaving the country, compounding the challenge.
Sampson called for fundamental reforms to address these systemic issues in immigration control. “We don’t track people when they enter the UK, we have to change the whole system. The Home Office has to be totally revamped,” he said.
Sampson told GB News
GB News
He highlighted how visitors can currently enter and disappear without trace.
“When somebody enters the UK on a visit visa, let’s say we should be able to track them and make them regularly report,” Sampson explained.
He suggested making sponsors and family members accountable if visitors don’t return home.
“At the moment there is simply no tracking. So if somebody comes in on a visa, they can just disappear into the night and we have no idea where they are. And that’s not acceptable,” he concluded.