Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander clashed with GB News host Ellie Costello during a heated exchange on Labour's record migrant figures, declaring: "I do not accept that at all".In new data released by the Home Office, figures show the Rwanda asylum scheme appeared to have a deterrent effect on Channel crossings, before any deportation flights took place.FULL STORY HERE.
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00:00Well, you could argue that now we're in a very different world, aren't we?
00:02But I'm glad you've said that defence is a priority.
00:04But if defence is a priority, then surely we need to make our borders secure.
00:09We saw 1,200 people cross on Saturday.
00:12That's a record for any given day.
00:14And there's Home Office data out today showing that when the Rwanda scheme first entered law,
00:19the numbers were coming down.
00:20So it was working as an effective deterrent, and you scrapped it.
00:25Do you regret that now?
00:27I'm sorry, I just don't accept that at all about the Rwanda scheme.
00:31The truth of the matter is we spent £700 million.
00:34There wasn't a deportation flight that took off from the UK.
00:37But the threat was clearly enough, wasn't it, because the numbers were coming down.
00:41If the previous Conservative government had been so confident that the Rwanda scheme was going to work
00:47and it would act as an effective deterrent, why did Rishi Sunak call an early general election last year?
00:52We're taking this issue very seriously.
00:54We're giving the new counter-terrorism powers to the new Border Security Command.
01:02That's legislation that is going through Parliament.
01:04We've done a deal with France so that French authorities can actually take action and intervene
01:09when individuals are in boats in the water.
01:12That's a new agreement.
01:13We are determined to interrupt these international networks, criminal gangs that are facilitating
01:21and enabling the people who are coming across in boats across the Channel.
01:27Yes, forgive me, but that isn't working, is it?
01:29You're not smashing the gangs.
01:30And so the security of the British people is our number one priority.
01:33Sorry to interrupt you.
01:33Sorry, sorry, I can't.
01:35The line's really bad.
01:36Sorry to interrupt you.
01:37It's very difficult to hear the questions.
01:39I'm really sorry.
01:39That's okay.
01:40You're not able, you're not currently smashing the gangs, are you, when we're looking at 50,000
01:47people potentially crossing this year?
01:50These are record numbers.
01:51Well, we've never said it would be easy.
01:55That's why we have set up the new Border Security Command.
01:59It's why we are giving the new Border Security Command those counter-terrorism-style powers.
02:05And let's not forget that the Conservatives and Reform MPs voted against those new powers
02:11in the House of Commons.
02:12So if you want to talk about a party that is taking this issue seriously, we are.
02:18Let's also not forget that since the general election, we have removed or deported 30,000 people
02:23from this country who have no right to be here.
02:26That's a significant increase on what the previous government did.