If voted to power, will scrap Rwanda scheme: Labour leader Starmer

London: If voted to power in the next election, the Labour Party will “replace gimmicks with graft” by scrapping the Rwanda scheme to partly fund a new “elite” border unit to “smash” people smuggling gangs to tackle small boats crossing the English Channel, UK’s Labour leader, Keir Starmer said on Friday.

On April 23, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the passage of his government’s controversial Safety of Rwanda

Bill by Parliament overnight and pledged that nothing would stand in the way of illegal migrants being flown out to the African country.

Sunak has made stopping such boats from making dangerous journeys across the Channel one of his priorities ahead of a general election expected later this year.

Starmer’s announcement comes after his shadow health secretary Wes Streeting claimed more

Tory MPs were considering defecting to Labour because of “division and incompetence” in Rishi Sunak’s government, claiming to have spoken to others “who are wrestling|

with their future.”

In a speech at Dover, a coastal town in England’s southeastern Kent county, the Labour leader set out plans to use new counter-terrorism powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs and accused the

Conservatives of operating a “Travelodge amnesty” by housing asylum-seekers in hotels rather than processing their claims.

BBC reported that Starmer announced plans to use counter-terror powers to “smash” people smuggling gangs, if he wins power.

“The Labour leader said he will establish a new Border Security Command with specialist officers to tackle small boats crossing the Channel,” the report said.