Summary

  • PM Rishi Sunak has given a media briefing on a new law aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel on small boats

  • He said "if you come here illegally, you can't claim asylum or stay in the UK", adding "we have tried every other way, it has not worked"

  • The new law places a duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally

  • Suella Braverman earlier told MPs she was "confident" the bill is compatible with international law

  • Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says the bill isn't a solution and lets people smugglers "off the hook"

  • The Refugee Council says it breaks the UK's commitment to give people a fair hearing, regardless of how they arrive, under the UN Human Rights Convention

  • More than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead and Jeremy Gahagan

  1. Government prepared to test legal limits with migrant plans

    Nick Eardley
    Chief political correspondent

    The government believes this is an issue that matters to voters and will be key at the next election.

    Rishi Sunak is also said to have a strong belief that the issue of channel crossings needs to be solved.

    Ministers are prepared to test the legal limits to try and address the issue.

    They want to create a deterrent - by making it clear to those thinking of crossing the channel that they won't be able to stay in the UK.

    There are also some clear political messages today, with the home secretary accusing Labour of "betraying hard working Brits" by not backing the plans.

    Labour's argument is that the new plans won't work - and ministers should focus on breaking up the business model of gangs and getting return agreements with European countries.

  2. PM: New law will 'send clear signal' to illegal migrants

    Rishi SunakEPA

    Rishi Sunak has written an opinion piece for the Sun newspaper claiming the new government laws will "send a clear signal" to illegal migrants and result in "taking back control of UK borders once and for all".

    Sunak writes that migrant boats crossing the Channel are "unfair on those who come here legally and enough is enough".

    He goes on to say his plans are "fair for those at home and those who have a legitimate claim to asylum" and accuses Labour of having "no plan" to stop the Channel crossings.

    But the plans have been met with criticism from opposition figures and refugee groups, with Labour saying the new legislation rehashes previous plans that have not worked.

    We'll be hearing some more from the PM later today.

  3. Ministers face number of challenges

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    The latest arrivals of migrants number thousands - as we await the government's plan to do something about it.

    Senior figures in Whitehall look at the current situation and contrast it with just over four years ago when the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid rushed back from a holiday after a group of 12 migrants were spotted in Greatstone on Sea.

    The numbers now, bluntly, are huge in comparison with then. So what are ministers planning?

    Here are the challenges they need to address:

    • How do you reduce the demand for people to want to attempt a crossing?
    • How do you deal with the criminal gangs that are driving this trade in people?
    • And how do you deal with the massive backlog of migrants already here and the colossal costs with it?

    Read more here.

  4. What do we know about the government's new plan?

    Suella BravermanEPA

    It's expected the Illegal Migration Bill will put a duty on the home secretary to detain and deport anyone who enters the country illegally.

    The new law would also prevent those arriving illegally from claiming asylum or returning to the UK in future.

    Anyone removed would also not be able to seek British citizenship. While the bill will not become law for several months it will apply retrospectively, meaning anyone arriving in the UK illegally from Tuesday will be at risk of deportation under the laws.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the bill would push "the boundaries of international law" without breaking it, telling the Express this was needed to "solve this crisis".

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has described the plans as "unworkable".

  5. Welcome

    Sarah Fowler
    Live reporter

    Good morning and welcome to our coverage, as the government puts a new law before Parliament aimed at deterring migrants coming over to the UK in small boats.

    I'll be hosting the coverage along with Nathan Williams. We're joined by reporters Aoife Walsh, Jack Burgess and James Gregory.

    We'll also be hearing from BBC correspondents in Dover and Calais.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman will be presenting the plans to Parliament around lunchtime, and we'll hear from the PM later at a media briefing in the early evening.

    Stay tuned while we bring you the latest updates throughout the day.