The UK is currently in talk with ‘a number of countries’ for deportation of illegal migrants to various ‘return hubs’ amid growing pressure to control soaring migration levels. Prime Minister Keir Starmer clarified that the proposed rule would apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK. Any such deal will however draw comparisons with the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme floated by the previous Conservative government to oust asylum seekers.
Starmer explained during a visit to Albania on Thursday that the return hub concept was a “pretty important innovation” which could help effectively tackle migrant inflows. He did not name the countries he was in discussions with or offer more details. The British government is also planning to make some immigrants living in the country wait up to five years longer to qualify for permanent settlement under a yet-to-be-implemented plan.
The announcement in Albania comes less than a day after the British PM reminded via social media that settlement in the UK was a “privilege that is earned, not a right”. The Starmer government has announced a series of steps to tighten immigration rules in recent weeks — hoping to ensure that net migration (the between immigration and emigration) falls by the end of his term in 2029.
“When people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language. Lower net migration, higher skills and backing British workers – that is what this White Paper will deliver,” he had said recently.