Politics latest: 'Shocking' net migration figures are so high 'you have to double take', says Starmer (2024)

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today, to discuss joint action to tackle illegal migration.

Downing Street said they spoke about the UK's latest immigration statistics published today, with the prime minister setting out his "determination to continue working together to reduce illegal migration".

"Both leaders agreed more could be done to smash the gangs in Europe and intercept smuggling gangs trading in human life," said a spokesperson.

Sir Keir said Germany is a "vital partner" in supporting this action.

The spokesperson said the leaders discussed their "joint action plan to tackle illegal migration", including signing a treaty in the coming months.

The leaders also discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine.

Speaking in Downing Street today, Sir Keir Starmer has said his deal to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius remains on track despite recent reports it could be on the brink of collapse.

Announced back in October, the agreement includes the tropical atoll Diego Garcia used by the US and UK as a military base, although the UK will continue to use it for "an initial period of 99 years".

What are the Chagos Islands?

The Chagos Islands is a group of seven atolls in the Indian Ocean, comprising over 60 Islands.

Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to give up the islands in return for its own independence in 1968, and had already agreed to lease Diego Garcia to the US to use as a military base.

In recent years, the UK has been facing diplomatic pressure to renounce its claim to the islands, and these negotiations got under way before Sir Keir Starmer became prime minister.

Why was Britain facing pressure?

Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base.

The expulsions are regarded as one of the most shameful parts of Britain's modern colonial history and Chagossians have spent decades fighting to return to the islands.

The United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice, previously ruled the UK's administration of the territory was "unlawful" and must end.

Negotiations to hand them over began in November 2022, under the Conservative government, with James Cleverly as foreign secretary.

Once it was done, a joint statement by the prime ministers of the UK and Mauritius said the deal would "address wrongs of the past".

The foreign secretary, David Lammy, said it would still secure the "vital" military base and ensure the UK can still play a role "safeguarding global security" in the Indo-Pacific.

What's the reaction been?

Many Tories reacted with fury, even though the negotiations began under their party's watch, and Reform's Nigel Farage wasn't happy either.

Critics warned the move will empower China.

It was welcomed by US President Joe Biden, who hailed the "historic agreement" as a "clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes".

But there have been some reports Donald Trump, who will become president in the new year, isn't as keen.

Mauritius's new PM, Navin Ramgoolam, is also thought to have reservations and criticised it before he was elected on 12 November.

Around 6,000 more asylum seekers were being housed in British hotels at the end of September than the end of June, new Home Office figures show.

Before Labour took office on 4 July - at the end of June - around 29,858 asylum seekers were being accommodated in hotels.

This figure had risen to 35,651 at the end of September.

It is the first quarterly rise for a year, but the figure is still some way below the recent peak of 56,042 in September 2023 - when Rishi Sunak was prime minister.

Asylum seekers and their families are housed in temporary accommodation if they are waiting for the outcome of a claim or an appeal and have been assessed as not being able to support themselves independently.

They are housed in hotels if there is not enough space in accommodation provided by local authorities or other organisations.

We end our coverage of the PM's news conference with a question about whether the government should rethink how migration figures are calculated, given some of today's had to be revised upwards.

Sir Keir Starmer says the fact they were revised isn't the "shocking" part, but simply the "sheer figures" themselves.

"You have to double take when you see an increase of 184,000 to 906,000 in four years," he says.

The 906,000 figure was for the year to June 2023 - a record high.

Sir Keir reiterates that the "shock to the system" in this case is the "sheer size of the number, and the loss of control under the last government."

Next, Sir Keir Starmer is asked if Nigel Farage is correct that US president-elect Donald Trump "hates" the Chagos deal.

This would hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, in exchange for a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military airbase.

Sir Keir stresses this is a "good deal", saying it "secures the base" which is in the "vital interests of the US and the UK".

"We are already engaging with the new administration in Mauritius on how we take that forward."

The next question put to the prime minister is about the asylum system, which figures released today show is costing £5.4bn a year.

Sir Keir Starmer is asked how much of that money has been spent on asylum hotels and whether he can guarantee the British public that the spend will be zero by the end of 2025.

He says the government is "driving hard" at bringing down the number of hotels, which was part of Labour's manifesto pledge.

One of the reasons that so many people are in hotels, Sir Keir adds, is because claims weren't being processed and an "ever-increasing pool of people" had to be accommodated for.

"That was completely unsustainable," he says, adding 1,000 members of staff have now been moved into the processing and returns department of the Home Office.

"And when it comes to returns, we've returned 9,600 since the election," he adds. "And we have got more flights off in terms of the numbers on flights than has ever been done before."

Watch a special report by Sky's home editor Jason Farrell:

Away from migration, Sir Keir Starmer is asked about tomorrow's debate and vote on the proposed assisted dying bill.

He reiterates this will be a "genuinely free vote".

The prime minister says: "Obviously the government is neutral on this and it is a genuinely free vote for all members of parliament.

"I don't want to put pressure on them.

"I've obviously got a huge amount of interest and experience in this, having looked at every single case for five years that was ever investigated."

He says he'll be voting, but won't say which way.

Watch our special report on assisted dying below:

The prime minister is asked by ourpolitical editor Beth Rigbywhat he means when he says he wants to bring down net migration, and whether he can do so while also trying to grow the economy.

Sir Keir Starmer says it's the government's job "to turn it around" after the Tories "completely lost control of our borders".

He says the increase under the Conservatives was "unprecedented" and the way to get numbers down now is with "hard graft".

"Not the gimmicks, but the hard graft of driving it down on the skills agenda, the migration advisory committee, making sure we're cracking down on employers that are breaking the rules," he says.

"Taking all the measures I've set out, measures that will have an impact on our immigration, which I do want to come down significantly."

Sir Keir Starmer is now addressing those gathered in Downing Street.

Data released today shows net migration fell 20% in the year to June, down from a record high of 906,000 in the previous year.

The prime minister accuses the previous government of running an "open borders experiment" in the UK.

He says, as the Office for National Statistics sets out, nearly one million people entered the country in the year ending June 2023.

"That is four times the migration levels compared with 2019."

Sir Keir says: "Time and again the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down - time and again, they failed."

'We will turn the page'

He says the British people are "owed an explanation", with the Tories overhauling immigration policy to plug gaps in the workforce and now just trying to "wave it away".

"Mark my words - this government will turn the page," citing plans to reform welfare and skills training for young people.

The economy has become "hopelessly reliant on immigration", he says.

'World first' security deal

Sir Keir says Labour is "taking a different approach", and will publish a white paper "imminently, which sets out a plan to reduce immigration".

Where "clear evidence" is found of sectors over-reliant on immigration, the government will "reform the points-based system" and make sure applications for relevant visa routes come with new expectations on training people here in the UK.

Labour will "crack down" on any abuse of visa routes, and employers who don't comply will be "banned from hiring overseas labour".

Sir Keir also mentions a new security agreement between the UK and Iraq to strengthen border security and tackle small boat crossings, describing the deal as a "world first".