Amnesty International suggests Keir Starmer is on the side of people smuggling gangs.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government is on the side of people smuggling gangs thanks to its migrant returns deal, a leading human rights organisation has suggested. Britain’s new “one in, one out” agreement with France began two days ago and saw the first detentions as people arrived in Dover on Wednesday.

Under the pilot scheme, a small proportion of migrants arriving on small boats will be sent to France and in return the UK will accept an equal number of asylum seekers from France. But the controversial scheme has prompted claims the deal puts the Labour Government on the side of the people smuggling gangs Sir Keir has pledged to “smash”.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Uk-France migrant returns deal won’t ‘smash’ the gangs, critics say (Image: Getty)

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, said the deal cements the role of smugglers in how migrants seek asylum in Britain.

He said: “A returns deal with France that makes access to safety in the UK… dependent on someone else risking their life to cross the Channel only cements the role of smugglers in how people fleeing war and persecution must seek asylum in the UK.

“Once again, refugees are treated like parcels, not people, while the public is left to pay the price for yet another cruel, costly failure dressed up as policy.

“The UK shares the same duty as other countries to provide asylum. But instead of facing that responsibility, this Government continues to swap one unworkable gimmick for another – aligning itself with the smugglers and the chaos they exploit.”

Mr Valdez-Symonds urged the Government to establish “safe, accessible” routes to the UK “not miserable deals that trade in human lives”.

Under the deal, adults and families in France will be able to express an interest in coming to the UK through an online platform set up by the Home Office. They will have to meet suitability criteria, standard visa application process and security checks.

If accepted, they would be given three months in the UK to claim asylum or apply for a visa, and would be subject to the same rules for all asylum seekers not allowed to work, study or have access to benefits.

The Home Office is expected to launch a campaign in the coming days to make migrants in northern France and elsewhere aware of the new treaty.

No figures have been confirmed as to how many migrants will be sent back, but reports from France have suggested it could be about 50 a week – just a fraction of the numbers making the perilous Channel crossing in small boats.

Defending the scheme, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said earlier this week that criminal gangs have spent seven years embedding themselves along Britain’s border and it will take time to unravel them. Ms Cooper also refused to confirm how many migrants have been detained so far under the deal.

She hailed the first detentions under the new pilot as an important step towards undermining the smuggling gangs’ business model and unravelling the false promises they make.

The Home Secretary has previously said the accord is not a “silver bullet” to stop small boat crossings, but marked a step change as migrants will be sent back across the Channel for the first time.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said just a “token handful” of migrants have been detained so far. He suggested the pilot scheme would fail.

Mr Philp said: “Keir Starmer‘s promise last year to ‘smash the gangs’ has turned out to be nothing more than a gimmick that didn’t work, and this is just the same.

“They are detaining a token handful of arrivals and in return we accept unvetted migrants from France. The whole thing is riddled with loopholes, opt-outs and legal escape routes that will make removals near-impossible.”