The debate over UK immigration policies saw Home Secretary James Cleverly and Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper clash amid claims of migrants waiting for a Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer. Cleverly asserted that migrants are “queueing up in Calais” expecting Labour to scrap the Rwanda asylum policy, a plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. In contrast, Cooper highlighted that record numbers of migrants have already crossed the Channel, with Home Office figures showing 12,901 arrivals so far this year—an all-time high for the first six months of a calendar year.
The debate on LBC was part of the broader political discourse as the Tories attempt to shift focus from a betting scandal related to the general election date. Cleverly argued that both migrants and smugglers monitor UK political scenarios closely, citing sources who claimed they were awaiting Labour’s potential policy changes. Cooper dismissed these claims, stating that current facts show migrants are not waiting but arriving and criticized the government's approach for escalating the influx.
Both parties stand firm with their solutions to curb illegal immigration and manage legal immigration more effectively, though no numerical targets were set for reducing net migration during the debate. The discussion also touched upon the use of the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge in Dorset, with Labour stating that although they want to end reliance on such accommodations, immediate changes post-election would not be feasible.