Not a week seems to go by without the political establishment demonising migrants in ostentatious displays of facile right-wing rhetoric. This time, it was Keir Starmer who launched Labour’s latest racist tirade against people seeking asylum. Specifically, the opposition party has announced its new reactionary scheme to “stop the boats”.
Of course, the new vile plan should come as no surprise from a Labour lurching shamelessly to the right on everything from Gaza to welfare.
Starmer’s ‘stop the boats’ publicity stunt
On Friday 10 May, Starmer unveiled Labour’s new plans to tackle so-called illegal migration. Predictably, the announcement was riddled with racist political posturing. As the Telegraph reported ahead of the announcement:
Keir Starmer will vow on Friday to use terror laws to tackle the small boats crisis, as part of plans to work more closely with Europe to combat people smugglers.
The Labour leader will announce plans to scrap the Rwanda scheme and use the money to create a border security command with new powers to treat people smugglers like terrorists.
Notably, Starmer broke the news during a speech in the Dover constituency of Tory defector Natalie Elphicke. However, Labour’s decision to welcome the right-winger with open arms has prompted backlash from MPs and the public alike. This is because Elphicke has a torrid history of voting for hardline, right-wing policies across the board.
Crucially – as the Canary’s James Wright pointed out however – her racist politics are now almost indistinguishable from Starmer’s Labour:
Elphicke and Starmer both demonise refugees. Elphicke has suggested refugees are terrorists who bring “violent protest” to British streets, while Starmer has spent Prime Minister’s Questions trying to flank Rishi Sunak from the right – pressing him on ‘stopping the boats’.
Labour’s answer to Rwanda is just more racism
Naturally, migrant rights campaigners have been quick to drag the Labour leader over his latest capitulation to the right.
Migration and asylum policy researcher and advocate Zoe Gardner condemned the plan on Sky News:
Neither shipping a few scared & homeless people to Rwanda, nor any police enforcement – “elite” or otherwise – will solve this.
If Labour is offering a true alternative to Tory chaos, they have to take safe routes seriously.@SkyNews this morning pic.twitter.com/AR1XAcx1RO
— Zoe Gardner (@ZoeJardiniere) May 10, 2024
Moreover, as migrant rights writer and campaigner Minnie Rahman noted, Labour’s new immigration scheme isn’t about making the UK safer for migrants:
Three things to ask yourself during every immigration policy announcement:
Will this stop deaths in the channel?
Does this create a safety net for vulnerable people?
Will this decrease xenophobia?The answer to all 3 is no. https://t.co/hXhmGQb1NQ
— Minnie Rahman (@minnierahman) May 10, 2024
Ostensibly then, Labour’s answer to Rwanda is simply more racist prevarication:
This announcement is terrifying.
People of Colour from the Global South have been given no alternative to come safely to the UK + many turn to smuggling groups. Labour have demonstrated they are content to continue to push more cruel, racist policieshttps://t.co/N4baPiDKcB
— Migrants' Rights Network (@migrants_rights) May 10, 2024
Fueling right-wing narratives
It also didn’t go amiss to some that Starmer also shared the announcement via his X and linked to an article from the hate-mongering corporate media tabloid the Sun:
Dangerous right-wing rhetoric normalising xenophobia & migrant bashing in the S*n on the same day that Rod Liddle is also spouting dangerous right-wing rhetoric in the S*n https://t.co/odINC5TxTV pic.twitter.com/K2jtodeWhb
— LiLBaz (@lil_bazza) May 10, 2024
Of course it wouldn’t be the first time the Labour leader has dabbled with the toxic shit rag. One X poster pointed out that it’s exactly this rhetoric which is fueling right-wing hatred towards migrants:
This rhetoric – associating refugees with terrorism & existential threat, & framing the answer as ever more coercive measures – feeds far-right narratives & opens the door to Tory calls to abandon international law & our moral duties to refugees.
Myopic, dangerous & abject. https://t.co/Yqt16NqlxP
— Alasdair Mackenzie 🧡 (@AlasdairMack66) May 10, 2024
Safe routes to asylum
Vitally, people on X highlighted that the terrorism and border force plans will do little to actually stop dangerous boat crossings. Instead, as Labour socialist National Executive Committee Mish Rahman explained, this requires expanding safe routes of asylum:
More than ever, we need a progressive Labour Party which stands up to Tory demonisation of migrants.
That does mean ending dangerous boat crossings – but the way to do that is by expanding safe routes for refugees, not treating them as a threat to be neutralised.
— Mish Rahman (@mish_rahman) May 10, 2024
Ultimately, Labour’s reticence to do just that is driving migrants to these perilous and deadly crossings:
How many more people have to die before we accept that border securitisation doesn’t work.
Just open safe routes already. https://t.co/Hbph4mrWdz
— Ben Rosher (@BenRosher) May 10, 2024
Meanwhile, refugee and asylum specialist Lou Calvey commended Labour’s commitment to scrap the Rwanda scheme. Conversely however, Calvey underscored the announcements lack of substance on ending the UK’s complicity in violating migrant rights:
Labour pledging to end the Rwanda pantomime is welcome.
But Rwanda is just one of the human rights abuses we’re inflicting…
We’ve banned asylum seeking – Refusing to uphold the Refugee Convention. We’ve closed the slavery support mechanisms to migrants.
— Lou Calvey (@LouCalvey) May 10, 2024
Starmer: saving lives or pandering to racists?
Of course, others pointed out how Labour isn’t actually interested in ending the hostile environment for migrants and saving lives. Instead, it’s barreling into the next election with its anti-migrant rhetoric on full throttle:
And they're off! The race to vilify migrants for general election votes is in full swing. Refugees need protection, not persecution. Those of us who have moved to the UK are not the problem. We're sick of being your political football. #TheseWallsMustFall https://t.co/c6hXiW7BuX
— Isata (@IsataBevanF) May 10, 2024
There have been 22 deaths in the channel this year.
Migrant rights in this country continue to be used by political parties as a race to the bottom.
Labour need to centre migrant justice, end the hostile environment and offer safe routes to people desperately seeking safety. https://t.co/og0zSMPD6H
— Green New Deal Rising (@GNDRising) May 10, 2024
At the end of the day, Labour’s latest dogwhistle blueprint shows that it’s increasingly pointless trying to work out where they end and the Tories begin.
As an election beckons, the two major UK parties have doubled-down on their disgusting anti-migrant racism. Be it Sunak or Starmer, Conservative or Labour, casting your ballot for either party is now meaningless if you care for any of the most marginalised groups in the UK.
If you had any doubts where Labour stand on migrant rights, it’s abhorrent vitriol on channel crossings now makes it clear for all to see. Starmer may as well crack out the notorious Miliband anti-migration mug and be done with it. Of course, that’s the one thing he really should be smashing – and its appalling rhetoric right along with it.
Feature image via Youtube – Guardian News
