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The former head of the UK’s Border Force has criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his handling of illegal migration, calling the cancellation of the Rwanda deportation plan his “biggest mistake” since taking office.
Tony Smith, the ex-director general of Border Force, stated that the government’s failure to manage small-boat crossings in the English Channel effectively has led to persistently high numbers.
In 2025, 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats, making it the second-highest annual total on record, with 570 arriving in the past week alone.
Smith praised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for proposing deterrent measures but argued that Labour’s decision to abolish the Conservatives’ flagship Rwanda deportation scheme was a major error. “In my view, the biggest mistake we’ve made is abolishing the Rwanda plan,” he told GB News.
He added that despite the legal challenges following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, the scheme represented “our best hope” for reducing illegal crossings.
The former Border Force chief also cautioned that unless Labour adopts a tougher approach to asylum and human rights claims, migrants will continue to risk the dangerous journey to the UK.
Senior Conservatives maintain that the Rwanda plan would have effectively reduced the number of small-boat arrivals.
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