Misuse of the immigration system by food delivery firms is “disgraceful”, Yvette Cooper has told GB News as she opened the door to giving police powers to immigration officers.
Cooper was speaking to GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope on her first immigration raid since as Home Secretary.
She told GB News: “Over the last 12 months, we have been increasing immigration enforcement raids by 50%, and also increasing the number of arrests by 50% as well.
“So this (raid today) was a chance to talk to the immigration officers about the progress that they’ve made and about the further changes we need, and also as part of an intensive new focus on delivery drivers. They’ve been focusing on illegal working in a range of different areas. But we’re intensifying the focus on delivery drivers because we know that there’s been shocking misuse and abuse.
“The level of abuse and misuse, particularly around the delivery, driving and the gig economy, I think is just disgraceful. The rules need to be respected and enforced. So that’s why not only are we increasing the illegal working raids, like the kinds of things that we’ve seen today. But we’re also determined to change the law, to bring through new laws that actually put new requirements on gig economy companies, that they have to do proper checks, and that they have to take their responsibility, which they are not doing at the moment.
“It is unfortunate that the Conservatives and Reform are currently opposing the new Border Security Bill that includes these changes, but we are determined to push it through.
“What we’ve seen today is the police and immigration enforcement working together, so we often have that cooperation to make sure that they can make arrests, to make sure that they can gather the intelligence they need and also take the enforcement action as well. But we are looking at what more needs to be done to make sure that they can swiftly take the enforcement action they need. Also, rolling out biometric kits, for example, so that they can immediately take fingerprints on the spot, find out whether people are here lawfully or not, whether they are working lawfully or not. Because I think people just want to make sure the rules are enforced, and I think they haven’t been for too long.
Turning to the small boats crisis she told GB News: “Small boats are a serious problem. They undermine border security and put lives at risk. That’s why, for example, we’ve been working with France on new action to make sure that the French police can actually take action in French waters. That hasn’t been happening, and the French interior minister has agreed that those rules need to change. We want to see those changes as rapidly as possible, because we have to prevent those boats crossing in the first place.
“We’re looking at a wide range of operational changes, working closely with France. The French interior minister is determined to change those rules. But we need those changes in place, obviously, as soon as possible. We’ve seen these shocking images of people climbing into these overcrowded boats and the French police unable to take the action that we need, because you then see these overcrowded boats that undermine border security, that puts lives at risk. And we’re also determined to change the law, to strengthen the law on endangering lives, because, frankly, when you have people climbing into these overcrowded boats, they’re putting everybody’s lives at risk. We want to be able to take prosecutions against people who are crossing the channel in that way. Again, that’s part of the new laws we’re bringing in. It is unfortunate. Other parties have opposed those laws, but we are determined to push that through.
“We’re continuing to look at a range of different ways, because I think really we have to work with other countries in order both to prevent illegal migration in the first place, to tackle the criminal gangs who are exploiting people, who are making hundreds of millions of pounds from what is a vile trade in people, and also looking at the ways in which we increase returns. Increase the enforcement, because it really is… The rules should be respected and enforced.
Pressed on why the Government weren’t considering sending more people back to France, Ms Cooper said: “Well, we’re looking at a range of different ways to strengthen our arrangements with France in order to tackle the criminal gangs that are organising the boat crossings, including those that are operating across northern France.
“Also, to be able to make sure that there’s proper action in French waters for the first time, and also to make sure we can increase returns. We’ve already had over 30 000 people being returned who are here unlawfully since the election. That’s a significant increase on previous years, but we do want to go much further.”
Ms Cooper was also asked if she and her colleagues were finding being in government more challenging than they thought.
She said: “We’re seeing immigration overall coming down. We’ve seen a significant increase in returns, including a nearly 30% increase in enforced returns. There is a serious problem about small boats, where we are taking further action and working with France in order to do that, but we’ve also seen the practical things we’re able to do, like 3000 more neighbourhood police on our streets this year, with much stronger action in our town centres. New laws coming through to tackle off road bikes. New laws on banning machetes and ninja swords. On getting domestic abuse experts into 999 control centres. So a whole series of different things, some very serious challenges. And that is the nature of the challenges that our country faces where we do need stronger action, including stronger enforcement, but also the progress we’ve been able to make, whether it be on returns, whether it be on neighbourhood police, on our streets and on different ways to keep our communities safe.”