Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a new hardline approach to tackling illegal immigration by limiting visas for countries which did not do enough to tackle the irregular migration crisis, like taking back failed asylum seekers.
The prime minister revealed the plans on Tuesday after holding talks about illegal migration at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta, with French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The readout from the meeting with President Macron talked about “innovative approaches” to be adopted to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
Some 16,545 people have crossed in small boats so far in 2025 according to Home Office figures, a 45 per cent increase on the same period in 2024 and higher than at the same point in 2022, the overall record year for crossings.
Speaking to journalists, Sir Keir said: “Well, on the innovative approaches – yes, we are looking at what further we can do. I think we need to strengthen our existing tools, but then go further and see what else we can do. And that is a piece of work we’re looking at with the French in particular.”
He added: “We are looking at what we can do on returns agreements. We have done a number of bilateral returns agreements. So the question is, again, whether it is possible to go a bit beyond that, including looking at this question of visas now and whether we can’t be a bit smarter with the use of our visas in relation to countries that don’t have a returns agreement with us.”
Asked if that meant fewer visas for countries which did not agree returns agreements of illegal migrants, he responded: “It would be much more sort of transactional, if you like. Now, we’re looking into it, but certainly I think there are areas like that that we should look more closely at.”
Currently countries with returns agreements with the UK are Albania, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Georgia, Somalia, Serbia and Algeria.
Sir Keir also denied that the reference to a deteriorating situation on the Channel with small boats was an admission of failure.
Recently, defence secretary John Healey has hit out at the French over their failure to stop migrants getting on boats despite the UK paying £400m a year to France to try to stop the problem.
In recent days there have been reports of migrants wading up to their necks in water to board boats and avoid the police.
The prime minister conceded: “There’s a serious situation in relation to the channel crossings. And as I’ve said on a number of occasions, nobody should be making that crossing.
“It is a serious challenge that requires serious responses to it. We are working much more closely already with our French counterparts … more closely than any interior minister and home secretary have before. We’re [also] working with our German counterparts and Italians.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Starmer is right, under his watch the Channel crisis is spiralling out of control.”
