Cutting the number of small boat crossings is crucial to restoring public trust in government. The next Prime Minister will have three years to achieve a significant reduction in irregular Channel crossings to deliver on one of the public’s top priorities.
The ‘one-in-one-out’ migration deal with France has already shown the benefits of collaboration on Channel crossings. Expanding this deal into a permanent UK-EU migration cooperation framework which offers a serious, visible deterrent to small boat crossings, alongside an expansion of safe and legal routes would help create an asylum system that is safe, fair and orderly.
Not only is this approach effective, it also commands strong public support. Polling shows nearly two thirds (62%) of Labour voters support a ‘routes for returns’ style deal with Europe, as well as 67% of ‘Labour Right-leaning Gettables’ – those voters lost to Labour’s right, but who remain open to returning, 58% of Green voters, and 65% of ‘Labour Progressive Gettables’ – voters that Labour lost to other progressive parties but remain open to returning.
This report in The Future Governance Forum’s ‘Rethinking Migration’ project, is written by Senior Policy Associate and former Yvette Cooper advisor, Beth Gardiner-Smith, and Policy Associate, Emily Graham. The project sets out fresh ideas for fixing our broken asylum system at home, and asks what role a UK government could play in reshaping the international system amid a rapidly shifting global order.
This report draws on research collaboration with the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and many of the recommendations have been co-developed. The collaboration benefited from contributions by a range of experts, practitioners and policymakers in the UK and Europe.
