UK asylum plans shows post-Brexit Britain is ‘in very dark place', Albanian PM warns
Sir Keir Starmer 's plan to send failed asylum seekers abroad shows post- Brexit Britain is in 'a very dark place', Albania 's prime minister has warned.
In a blistering attack, Edi Rama said the prime minister was 'looking for places to dump migrants' - a plan that would have been inconceivable a decade ago.
He said Brexit had ushered in a shift in public discourse, which means the 'totally unacceptable, totally ridiculous, totally shameful' are now normalised.
And, in an interview with The Guardian, Mr Rama said: 'It's one of those things that 10 years ago would simply have not been imaginable… that Britain would look for places to dump immigrants.
'The fact that today it's not just imaginable, it's happening, is not because of Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak doing something outrageous; it's because of the country being in a very dark place.'
The socialist Albanian PM added: 'Eighty per cent of the things that are said, or are written, or are accepted as a normal part of the discourse in today's Britain are things that [before Brexit] would have been totally unacceptable, totally ridiculous, totally shameful.'
Mr Rama's interview comes a month after Sir Keir said Britain was in talks with a handful of countries over 'return hubs' for failed asylum seekers as part of the government's crackdown on small boats crossing the English Channel.
The PM announced the plans while visiting Albania's capital, Tirana, but suffered a setback as Mr Rama insisted his country would not host one of the UK's planned hubs.
But, insisting his comments were not a dig at Sir Keir, he said his British counterpart is a 'very decent and delightful person' and that he has rejected similar plans under Mr Sunak and Boris Johnson in the past.
Albania currently operates a similar returns hub programme with Italy.
Countries thought to be under consideration by the UK include Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia.
Downing Street said its objective is to remove people who have exhausted all routes to staying in the UK and have no lawful basis to remain here.
'We have seen people in the past arriving from safe countries but then using stalling tactics such as losing their paperwork or starting a family to frustrate that removal,' Sir Keir's spokesman said at the time.
The prime minister admitted return hubs would not in themselves halt the boats but he said that, combined with other measures designed to tackle smuggling gangs and return those with no right to be in the UK, it would 'allow us to bear down on this vile trade and make sure that we stop those people crossing the Channel'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
5 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Labour MPs demand ‘reset' in relations with Number 10 after welfare U-turn
Labour MPs have called for a reset in relations with Downing Street as the fallout from the welfare rebellion threatens to cause lasting damage. A late-night climbdown on welfare cuts from Number 10 may have seen off the threat of Sir Keir Starmer's first major Commons defeat, with rebels suggesting they now expect the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to pass its first hurdle on July 1. But speaking to the PA news agency, a number of Labour backbenchers expressed deeper frustration with how Downing Street has handled its backbenchers since last year's election. One warned that discontent and low morale among MPs would 'continue to fester' without a 'wider reset' in relations between Number 10 and the Parliamentary Labour Party after 'a year of poor party management'. Another accused decision-makers in Government of operating as an 'exclusive club' and showing 'disregard' for both backbenchers and experts outside Westminster. They told PA: 'I think the Government have got to stop pretending they know everything and start listening, because they might learn something.' Several backbenchers pointed to the Prime Minister's words at a press conference on Wednesday, in which he referred to keeping a 'focus on the change that we want to bring about' rather than the 'noises off'. Although Government sources suggested Sir Keir was talking in more general terms, rebels have taken his 'noises off' comment as referring to them. One said: 'A lot of colleagues are sickened at language being used, from the PM's 'noises off' to the senior source saying they thought Keir and Morgan (McSweeney, the Prime Minister's chief of staff) had cleansed the party of self-indulgent rubbish.' But their frustration is not shared by all Labour backbenchers, with others suggesting Friday's U-turn on welfare cuts shows Downing Street is willing to listen. One told PA: 'They're a new team, they're a year in and occasionally teams do need to have a moment where things come to a head and they learn.' Arguing that some backbenchers needed to 'chill out and have a cup of tea', they added they thought the Prime Minister had 'clocked that it's important that we work as part of a team. 'All of us want him to succeed and all of us want the Government to succeed,' they said. A Number 10 spokesman insisted on Friday that the Prime Minister 'remains fully committed to engaging with parliamentarians'.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Starmer says he regrets using 'island of strangers' phrase
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he regrets saying the UK risked becoming "an island of strangers" in a speech about prime minister was accused by some critics of using divisive language when he made a speech to announce plans to cut immigration in MPs compared Sir Keir's remarks to those made by former MP Enoch Powell in a well-known speech about immigration in the time, Downing Street rejected the comparison and said the PM stood by his words and his view that "migration needs to be controlled". But in an interview with his biographer, Tom Baldwin, Sir Keir said: "I wouldn't have used those words if I had known they were, or even would be interpreted as an echo of Powell."I had no idea – and my speechwriters didn't know either."But that particular phrase – no – it wasn't right. I'll give you the honest truth: I deeply regret using it."The interview was published in the Observer newspaper ahead of Sir Keir's one-year anniversary since becoming prime minister next Keir's comments suggest neither he nor his speechwriters were aware of any similarity to a line in Powell's 1968 that speech, Powell described a future in which Britons "found themselves made strangers in their own country".It is widely known as the Rivers of Blood speech because of Powell's reference to "the River Tiber foaming with much blood", when setting out his fears about immigration. In the Observer interview, Sir Keir said he made the speech on immigration not long after an alleged arson attack on his family home in London."It's fair to say I wasn't in the best state to make a big speech," Sir Keir said. "I was really, really worried."He said his wife Victoria was "really shaken up", adding "it was just a case of reading the words out and getting through it somehow".The Observer article quotes Sir Keir as saying he should have read through the speech properly and "held it up to the light a bit more".Responding to the interview, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the PM's admission of regret at using the phrase was "absolute proof that Keir Starmer has no beliefs, no principles and just reads from a script"."This country needs a leader who has vision," Farage posted. The comparison to Powell was made by John McDonnell, who lost the Labour whip last year after rebelling on a welfare in Parliament in May, the independent MP said: "When legislation of this nature is being introduced that is serious and could be contentious, it's critically important that ministers use careful language."When the prime minister referred to... an island of strangers, reflecting the language of Enoch Powell, does she realise how shockingly divisive that could be?"In the same debate, Labour MP Nadia Whittome said immigrants were being "scapegoated for problems that they didn't cause" and that "the rhetoric surrounding this" risked stirring racial MP asked: "Why are we trying to ape Reform, when that will do nothing to improve our constituents' lives and just stoke more division?"Home Secretary Yvette Cooper later defended the language used by Sir said Starmer's speech was "completely different" to Powell's, telling the BBC: "I don't think it's right to make those comparisons."The prime minster said yesterday, I think almost in the same breath, talked about the diverse country that we are and that being part of our strength."I know that everybody always gets caught up in focusing on different phrases and so on, but we do have to be talking about the policies."The launch of the government's immigration plan in May followed local elections in England earlier this month that saw Labour lose the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary seat to Reform UK.
BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
West Northamptonshire Council votes through new flag protocol
A council has approved a "divisive" policy change which will mean it no longer fly an LGBTQ+ rainbow flag from any of its newly elected Reform UK administration on West Northamptonshire Council made changes to the local authority's flag protocol after coming to power last month, and it was formally passed on leader Mark Arnull said its "revised approach ensures consistent and respectful use of public buildings."But Conservative councillor David Smith called on the authority to "think again" on the protocol, which dictates that only the union jack, St George's flag and council flag will be flown outside its buildings. The administration previously said it remained "committed to supporting community-led events and activities", including Pride, despite the change of Thursday's full council meeting at the Guildhall in Northampton, 40 ward councillors voted in favour of the new policy and 26 against it, while one councillor the new flag protocol, the council said additional flags would be flown on specified dates for royal or national is flying flags this week to mark Armed Forces Day, but no flag has been flown to reflect this month's international Pride month, as has been the case in previous years. Speaking before the vote, Arnull said: "The administration maintains our support for community-led events and inclusive engagement across West Northamptonshire, and I state for the record this administration supports all community groups everywhere."However, the move was heavily criticised by opposition parties on the councillor Smith said the Reform administration had "no manifesto" and "no strategic vision". He added: "Your only notable initiative is a divisive flag policy that sidelines symbols of inclusion and unity. [It] is shameful you doing this, you should think again. Understand the community you now represent, and do the right thing and actually vote against this."Labour councillor Zoe Smith, who attended the meeting in a rainbow-themed dress, said: "Our community, my community, will not be erased by a flag protocol, but it does diminish dignity and civic responsibility of this council and the way we represent all our people to remove respect for the LGBT community and others." 'Heartbroken' The enforcement of the policy means that no flag will be flown for a number of events, as in previous Cole, the co-founder of the Northampton Windrush Generation organisation, said his group was "heartbroken" by the policy added: "This decision is not only unjust but strikes at the heart of our values. As a society that celebrates diversity, inclusion and the rich tapestry of cultures that define us. "The Windrush generation has long stood as a symbol of resilience, unity, multi-culturalism, the very essence of British identity. Raising global flags is more than a symbolic act. "It is a statement of solidarity recognition and respect for the communities that have contributed to the vibrancy of this nation." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
