Tackling illegal immigration calls for a bold UK deterrent

Britain’s illegal immigration crisis was always going to pose the most immediate test of Sir Keir Starmer’s self-image as a quietly competent problem-solver. Yet, after nine months in power, Labour’s failure to commit to a deterrent sufficient to discourage small-boat crossings has left the crisis as pressing as ever. But there are now signs that the prime minister may be willing to consider solutions of the type that were previously unpalatable to many in his party.

So far this year, a record 4,681 individuals entered the UK illegally in 85 small boats: a 15 per cent increase on last year’s cumulative figure for March. Recent Home Office data shows the asylum backlog standing at an all-time high, exceeding 108,000 as of December. There are now