Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said he was “pleased to see that boats are being seized” between Bulgaria and Turkey “as part of an agreement signed under the previous Conservative Government”.
“However, illegal immigration is getting worse under this Labour Government,” he said.
“Asylum claims have hit a record level and numbers of illegal immigrants in hotels have gone up since July 2024.”
Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said organised immigration crime had “wreaked havoc” on the UK’s borders.
He added: “The criminal gangs who think they can abuse our borders are wildly mistaken, in addition to increasing disruptions by 33% I am removing the pull factors that make the UK the destination of choice for migrants.
“We must go further and faster, our sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration will remove incentives and scale up removals, building on the 50,000 already returned.”