Labour would make the UK the “soft-touch illegal migration capital of the world”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has claimed as the Conservative Party highlighted its plans to cut illegal and legal immigration.
The Tories claim Keir Starmer’s proposals to curb migration would let thousands more people into the UK each year.
Mr Sunak criticised Mr Starmer’s “illegal migration amnesty and sweetheart deal with the EU”, in a desperate bid to reduce Labour’s stubborn double-digit opinion poll lead before the July 4 general election.
The Conservatives repeated their pledges to halt illegal migration, including “running a regular rhythm of flights to Rwanda to provide an effective deterrent, starting in July, until the boats are stopped”.
But the opposition replied with, “instead of the gimmicks, Labour will get a grip” on the issue.
It accused the Tories of “desperately inventing lies” about their policies.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year – at 12,901.
The tally of crossings since Mr Sunak, who promised to “stop the boats”, became Prime Minister in October 2022 is fast approaching 50,000.
The Tories also vowed to bring into force the Illegal Migration Act, which became law last year, to “stop illegal migrants from bringing spurious claims to stop their removal”, and return more people with no right to be in the UK to their own country.
On cutting legal migration, the party repeated its plans to introduce a cap on the number of work visas and allowing Parliament to vote on where the limit should be set.
If re-elected, the Tories would commission the independent Migration Advisory Committee to recommend an annual level, and automatically raise the salary threshold for skilled workers and the family income requirement in line with inflation.
Net migration – the difference between the number of people legally arriving in the UK and leaving – hit 685,000 last year.
That is more than three times higher than the figure at the time of the last election, when the Conservatives promised to cut overall numbers in their 2019 manifesto.
“Migration is too high and the Conservatives have a clear plan to get it down,” Mr Sunak said.
“Labour would rip up our plan on day one by scrapping the Rwanda scheme, despite countries across Europe looking to it themselves to deal with their own migration pressures.
“Labour’s only alternative is an illegal migration amnesty and sweetheart deal with the EU that would see Britain taking even more illegal migrants from the continent – the opposite of what Britain needs.
“So that’s the clear choice at this election – the Conservatives, who have shown they will take the bold action necessary to break the model of the smuggling gangs and stop the boats; and Labour, who would make us the soft-touch illegal migration capital of the world and take us back to square one.”
Home Secretary James Cleverly said Labour would “send immigration soaring”.
“The Labour Party have got a complete vacuum where their policies should be,” Mr Cleverly said.
“Their big idea is for a border command that already exists.”
Britain's Labour Party through the years – in pictures
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Labour leader Keir Starmer celebrates winning the UK general election with a speech at Tate Modern in central London in July. All photos: Getty Images -
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner, and Mr Starmer meet party supporters in Harlow in May -
London Mayor and Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan, and his wife Saadiya Khan, pose with supporters after Mr Khan was re-elected in May -
Mr Starmer meets and greets supporters in Chatham in 2023 -
Then-party leader Jeremy Corbyn during a 2017 visit to Oxford -
First minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, left, and leader of Scottish Labour Kezia Dugdale place roses at a memorial for murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, in Glasgow in 2016 -
Labour leader Ed Miliband, sixth right, holds his first shadow cabinet meeting at the House of Commons in 2010 -
Newly elected Labour prime minister Tony Blair stands on the steps of No 10 Downing Street with his wife Cherie in 1997 -
Mr Blair, John Prescott and Gordon Brown at the Labour Party Conference in 1997 -
Former leader Neil Kinnock, left, shares a joke with Peter Mandelson, a key figure behind the party's 1997 general election landslide victory, at the party conference in 1997 -
Leader John Smith addresses a miners' rally in Hyde Park, London, in 1992 -
Mr Kinnock with a group of youngsters publicising Labour's jobs And industry campaign in 1985 -
BBC TV coverage of the October 1974 general election, with Labour prime minister Harold Wilson and his wife Mary visible on a screen in London -
Mr Wilson, left, and Labour politician Tony Benn speaking at a press conference during the 1974 general election campaign -
Barbara Castle speaking at the Labour Party Conference in 1969 -
Mr Wilson waving outside No 10 in 1964 -
Mr Wilson, left, with deputy leader George Brown in 1963 -
A campaign poster issued by the Labour Party depicting leader Hugh Gaitskell arm-in-arm with Barbara Castle and Aneurin Bevan in 1959 -
Party leader Clement Attlee with a Labour delegation, boarding a plane on their way to China in 1954 -
Mr Attlee and his wife Violet attending a film premiere in London in 1952 -
Members of the Labour cabinet at No 10 in 1929: Clockwise from top left: Tom Shaw, Arthur Greenwood, Noel Buxton, Sidney Webb, Arthur Henderson and prime minister Ramsay MacDonald -
Mr MacDonald addressing a Labour victory meeting at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 1924 -
From left, Mr Henderson, William Brace, William Adamson, Vernon Hartshorn and James Henry Thomas outside Unity House during a coal workers' strike, in London, 1920 -
Scottish Labour politician James Keir Hardie addressing a peace meeting in Trafalgar Square, London, in 1914 -
Mr Hardie speaks at a tailors' rally on May Day in Hyde Park, London, in 1912
Mr Starmer’s party has pledged in its manifesto to axe the multimillion-pound stalled plan to send migrants to Rwanda and use the money to pay for a new security border command.
If elected, Labour would launch the unit with “hundreds of new specialist investigators”, vowing to “use counter-terror powers to smash criminal boat gangs” in a bid to curb Channel crossings.
The party would also seek a “new security agreement with the EU to ensure access to real-time intelligence” so police can work with European counterparts.
“The Tories’ so-called plan is more of the same chaotic failures and desperate lies – they are trying to take the country for fools,” shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said.
“Small boat crossings have hit 50,000 on Rishi Sunak’s watch and net migration has trebled since the last election.
“The extortionate Rwanda scheme has been running two years and just two volunteers have been sent.
“Rishi Sunak’s promises and policies are all just a total con. All they are offering is more of the same failed approach while desperately inventing lies about Labour.
“Labour will set up a new Border Security Command with new counter-terror powers and hundreds of additional cross-border police and investigators to smash criminal smuggler gangs.
“We will put a stop to the Tories asylum hotel amnesty by clearing the backlog with a new Returns and Enforcement Unit to return those with no right to be here.
“Labour will link visa controls to new workforce plans and training requirements to tackle skills shortages and bring net migration down.”
Mr Sunak is not expected to hit the campaign trail on Tuesday, when he will focus on the state visit of the Japanese emperor and empress.
