PM: TOUGHEST EVER LAWS SEND CLEAR MESSAGE TO MIGRANTS

RISHI Sunak has warned illegal migrants they face the "toughest-ever" laws, after victory in his battle to get small boats curbs through Parliament.

-  Sam Lister

He said the Bill is a clear warning that anyone breaching Britain's borders will be detained and removed.

After a long battle in the Lords, the legislation made it over the final Parliamentary hurdle early yesterday. The PM admitted that the reforms are not a "silver bullet" but he insisted they are a "critical step forward" in stopping dangerous crossings of the Channel.

He told the Daily Express: "I have made it my mission to stop the boats, not because it's easy but because it's the right thing to do.

"This week we will put the toughest-ever set of laws on to the statute book, sending a clear message to people everywhere that if you come here illegally you will be detained and removed.

"Sir Keir Starmer tried to frustrate us at every stage - whipping his MPs and peers to vote against our Stop the Boats Bill over 70 times in the last few months to try to water it down. But the British people have had enough of seeing criminal gangs bringing people across the Channel in flimsy dinghies to exploit our asylum system.

"It should be their democratically elected Government, not criminal gangs, who decides who can enter this country. It's not fair on taxpayers who have to pay the accommodation costs. It's not fair for those who respect the rules to come to Britain legally. And it's not fair on the people being smuggled.

"The Labour Party opposes our plans to stop the boats. Keir Starmer wants open borders. He campaigned for a second referendum on Brexit against the democratic will of the people."

Mr Sunak went on: "He said he wanted to scrap the Rwanda deal. He doesn't want to stop the boats. But this Conservative Government does. There is no silver bullet, and it will take time, but our new laws are a critical step forward to making this priority a reality."