The US president argued the military should be called out to tackle migrant Channel crossings.
Donald Trump says Sir Keir Starmer should get the military involved to tackle the small boats crisis (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump suggested on the last day of his second state visit to the UK that Sir Keir Starmer should get the military involved in tackling the small boats crisis. He warned illegal migration could “destroy” countries.
The US president said he discussed the situation with Sir Keir at the Prime Minister’s country residence Chequers on Thursday. During the press conference that followed, he also highlighted his own record in securing borders, suggesting the UK faced a similar challenge to the US.
Mr Trump said: “I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.
“It destroys countries from within and we’re actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country.”
Cabinet minister Peter Kyle on Friday suggested the Armed Forces should remain focused on defence after Mr Trump’s comments.
He told the BBC: “What he suggested was the military are used, but we have the UK Border Force that is now established and has been reinforced and bolstered and have new powers under this Government.
“The Navy actually does have a working relationship with the UK Border Force and the Navy can be called upon if needed.”
But he later added: “What we really need at the moment is our military focused on all of those really key issues around the world, directly relating to our national defence.”
His comments came on the same day a second migrant was deported to France under the Government’s “one in, one out” deal. An Eritrean man who lost a High Court bid to halt his removal was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am today.
However, hundreds of migrants still tried to cross the Channel as the second deportation took place. Sky News reported that four boats were seized.
