Labour leader Keir Starmer has vowed to crack down on the “vile trade” of criminal gangs behind Britain's small boats crisis if his party wins the next general election.
Migration is a contentious issue, acting as a diving line between Labour and the Conservatives, and will continue to play out as they vie for voters' support in the run-up to the election.
Mr Starmer told a press conference on Friday that he will scrap the Conservative government’s Rwanda deportation scheme and use some of the money saved to fund a new “elite Border Security Command” led by a former police, military or intelligence chief.
“Tackling organised crime is always hard, especially across borders,” he said during his speech in Dover, Kent.
“This is a criminal enterprise that we are dealing with – a business that pits nation against nation, that thrives in the grey areas of our rules, the cracks between our institutions, where they believe they can exploit some of the most vulnerable people in the world with impunity.”
Mr Starmer said Labour would set up “a new command with new powers, new resources and a new way of doing things”.
The Border Security Command will bring together hundreds of specialist investigators from the National Crime Agency, Border Force, immigration enforcement, the Crown Prosecution Service and MI5, “all working to a single mission, all freed from the bureaucracy that so often prevents collaboration between different institutions”, he said.
Mr Starmer added that a Labour government would provide the security command, which he said would be an “elite force, not a Cinderella service”, with £75 million ($86.7 million) of funding in the first year.
The Labour leader said turning a blind eye to people smuggling was “not a progressive or compassionate position”.
He said “our asylum system must be rebuilt and our borders must be secured”, accusing the Tories of being driven from a serious party of government “on to the rocks of their own delusion” in their pursuit of “gesture politics” over immigration.
He said he does not doubt the government will get flights to Rwanda off the ground but argued the deportation policy will not work.
“We will restore serious government to our borders, tackle this problem at source and replace the Rwanda policy permanently,” he said.
Mr Starmer said he would also seek a new partnership with Europe to access real-time intelligence and that he has been to The Hague to push for a new security pact.
He said stronger powers are needed to bring smuggling gangs to justice, including the ability to shut off internet access, close their bank accounts and trace their movements using intelligence agency information.
Speaking directly to smuggling gangs, he said: “These shores will become hostile territory for you – we will find you. We will stop you. We will protect your victims with the Border Security Command. We will secure Britain's borders.”
He added that Labour's immigration policy would “align with global rules that protect individual human rights”.
“That is in our interests and the right thing to do.”
Mr Starmer labelled the government’s approach as “rank incompetence” and dismissed the Rwanda scheme as being unable to provide an effective deterrent.
Asked for his target number of crossings, Mr Starmer did not give a figure but said the numbers need to be reduced materially.
“That means ending the scheme absolutely, flights and all, it is not going to work, it is an absolute waste of money. It is a gimmick, not a solution,
“I'm not prepared to have a government that is run on gimmicks.”
The Labour leader highlighted his own previous experience as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, and pledged to make Britain's coasts a “hostile territory” for people smugglers.
Among the measures set to be proposed by Mr Starmer are new border control stop-and-search powers, building on those created in 2000 by the Terrorism Act, along with new financial investigation powers, and search-and-seizure warrants to tackle organised immigration crime.
“Rebuilding our asylum system has become a test of political strength, a trial of leadership to resist the voices who fundamentally do not want to rebuild a functioning asylum system,” he said.
“It’s become a question of whether you can prioritise, at all times, the politics of practical solutions, and reject the politics of performative symbols, the gimmicks and gestures.”
Afghan migrant documents dangerous journey across Channel – video
Dover MP Natalie Elphicke defected to Labour from the Conservatives on Wednesday, accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of failing to deliver on his promise to “stop the boats”.
The defection of Ms Elphicke, who joined Mr Starmer in the front row for his speech in Kent, was greeted with surprise by Conservatives, with Foreign Secretary David Cameron saying it showed Labour stood for nothing and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan saying she was a “very odd fit” for the opposition.
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
Company%20profile
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My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20ASI%20(formerly%20DigestAI)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Quddus%20Pativada%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20education%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GSV%20Ventures%2C%20Character%2C%20Mark%20Cuban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
