The President gave Keir Starmer some much-needed advice about the ongoing small boats crisis.

Donald Trump used an impromptu press conference in Scotland to give advice to Keir Starmer on the need to stop illegal migrants crossing the English Channel.

Speaking from his golf course alongside Sir Keir and his wife Victoria, the President was asked what his advice would be on stopping the small boats crisis as he makes huge headway in deporting illegal immigrants from America.

President Trump warned the Prime Minister that those coming across on dinghies are “bad people”, but praised efforts to end crossings.

He told the media: “Immigration is a big factor, and I think frankly if they’re coming from other countries and you don’t know who they are – are they coming from prisons? We have it where they came in from prisons. We’re moving them all out.

“We had zero people come into the country [last month] other than those coming through legal means. If you’re stopping immigration and stopping the wrong people my hat’s off to you.

Keir Starmer answers questions alongside Sir Keir and his wife (Image: Getty)

“If the boats are loaded up with bad people, and they usually are because other countries don’t send their best. They send people that they don’t want – they’re not stupid people, and they send the people they don’t want.”

He praised Sir Keir for taking a “much stronger stance” on migrant boats than the previous government, with the Prime Minister citing his recent agreement with France to return migrants to Calais.

Sir Keir cited his claim he has returned 35,000 people during his first year, though only a small percentage of those were involuntary deportations.

He added: “We’re very pleased we’re getting on with returning people who have got no right to be here.”

The President took a number of questions from the media (Image: Getty)

The President warned that Europe has become “a much different place than it was five, ten years ago” due to mass immigration, warning that leaders “need to get their act together” or risk not having Europe “any more as you know it.”

“This is a magnificent part of the world and you can’t ruin it, you can’t let people come here illegally. And what happens is there will be murdered, drug dealers, all sorts of things other countries don’t want.”

The Prime Minister suffered a major humiliation last week when it was revealed that prosecutions for people smuggling have fallen to a record low despite his pledge to ‘smash the gangs’.

Between July 2024 and June 2024, just 153 people were prosecuted for aiding illegal entry into Britain, a huge fall from the record high seen under Robert Jenrick’s tenure as immigration minister.

Mr Jenrick’s term in office saw 471 people smugglers prosecuted in 2023, and 424 in 2024. In addition, just 446 of the 43,309 illegal migrants who came to Britain during Labour’s first 12 months were charged with immigration offences, representing less than 1% of total crossings.

Mr Jenrick, the shadow Justice Secretary, said: “Keir Starmer boasted he would smash the gangs, but the gangs are laughing at him. They’ve never had it easier and crossings are up 50 per cent as a result. We’re now heading towards being the illegal immigration capital of Europe.

“It’s clear Starmer is incapable of stopping the boats and his backbenchers don’t want him to. The country cannot go on like this – the situation in the Channel is a national security emergency.

“Those that arrive illegally from the safety of France must be swiftly deported so the message is clear: if you break into Britain, you will not get a life here.”

Donald Trump touched down in Scotland on Friday for a four-day trip, his first to Britain since his re-election.

Officially it is a “private” trip, though the Commander in Chief used his Scottish hotel at the weekend to conduct trade negotiations with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

The visit is separate to the planned state visit, which will take place in September.