Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has urged Nigel Farage to issue an apology for his involvement in the small boat crisis. Speaking at the party’s conference in Bournemouth, Sir Ed emphasized the impact of losing a returns agreement post-Brexit, attributing it to a surge in trafficking activities facilitating Channel crossings.
He criticized Farage, Boris Johnson, and the Conservatives for terminating the agreements with EU countries, leading to the current challenges. Sir Ed highlighted the loss of access to the Dublin agreement due to Brexit, which allowed asylum seekers to be returned to their initial entry country, creating a situation where the UK could no longer deport individuals to Europe.
At a fringe event during the conference, there were discussions on renaming small boats crossing the Channel as “Brexit boats” to hold Brexit supporters accountable. Delegates supported this notion, suggesting that being part of the EU would have enabled easier return of individuals arriving by boat.
In response to criticism, critics argued that the Dublin agreement was flawed and would not have resolved the current issues. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Sir Ed of revising history, pointing out the low acceptance rate of outgoing requests under the agreement.
Official data from the Home Office revealed that between 2015 and 2018, the UK made numerous outgoing requests to transfer individuals to other EU states, with only a fraction being successfully relocated. Similarly, incoming requests to transfer individuals into the UK resulted in a limited number of approvals.
Overall, the discussions at the conference shed light on the complexities surrounding the small boat crisis and the differing perspectives on the effectiveness of past agreements in managing migration challenges.
