Labour convicts just 30 pilots of small boats

LABOUR has been accused of “staggering incompetence” with just 30 small-boat pilots convicted by Home Office Immigration Enforcement in the first six months of this year — after Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “smash the gangs”.

- BY DAVID WILLIAMSON

Illegal migrants and boat pilots are not being prosecuted

And the government body convicted only 38 passengers of illegally entering the UK despite almost 20,000 migrants crossing the Channel during this time.

This has triggered warnings that border enforcement has “collapsed” under Labour.

Last month Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood admitted her department is “not yet fit for purpose”.

The disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act that so few convictions have been secured by Immigration Enforcement has piled more pressure on the under-fire Prime Minister.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Someone tell Keir Starmer it is illegal to cross the Channel illegally. These figures lay bare the collapse of border enforcement under Labour.