Jonathan Gullis has launched a scathing attack on the Yvette Cooper’s approach to tackling illegal immigration, dismissing her latest measures as a mere “gimmick”.
Speaking to GB News, the former Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent North claimed Labour politicians are “obsessed with creating new laws to give some false impression that they’re doing something in order to try and be active”.
Anyone who advertises small boat crossings or fake passports on social media could face up to five years in prison under new Government plans to tackle illegal immigration.
Ministers are under growing pressure after the number of migrants reaching the UK this year surpassed 25,000.
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Jonathan Gullis took aim at Yvette Cooper’s latest plan to tackle illegal migration
Defending the move, Labour MP Alex Ballinger says the proposed new law will give police new powers.
He told GB News: “Tackling many of the models that the smuggling gangs are using we expect will make a real difference on reducing illegal migration.”
Gullis characterised Yvette Cooper’s initiative as “just some gimmick” that fails to address the escalating crisis at Britain’s borders.
The ex-MP condemned Labour’s commitment to dismantle criminal smuggling operations, describing their promise as “hollow, empty words” that have failed to materialise into meaningful action.
Gullis expressed concern about the high acceptance rate for asylum seekers arriving via small boats, noting that seven in 10 receive permission to settle permanently in Britain.
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PA | More than 25,000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel into Britain this year aloneHe stated: “Speeding up processing is a welcome thing. The problem is that at the moment, 70 per cent of all illegal migrants have crossed by small boats are being given the right to remain permanently in the UK.
“So if you’re speeding up the processing and then just saying yes, you can stay here, then that’s going to keep as a pull factor.
“It will enable the smuggling gangs to push their business model around, as well as obviously having potentially more appeals go in saying that they think decisions are unfair.”
He highlighted that the judicial system already faces between 40,000 and 50,000 pending appeals, with associated costs reaching £2.1billion.
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Gullis told GB News that speeding up asylum applications could ‘keep as a pull factor’ for illegal migrants
The former MP cautioned: “So again, this will just fuel further appeals in our legal system, meaning we’ll have more illegal migrants staying longer.”
According to the Home Office, around 80 per cent of migrants arriving to Britain by small boat have told officials they used social media during their journey, including to contact agents linked to people smuggling gangs.
Cooper said of the plans: “Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral.
“These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them, wherever they operate.”
