05 October 2023 , 17:46
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Rishi Sunak struck deals with three European nations to tackle people smugglers fuelling Channel crossings tonight.
The Prime Minister revealed the pacts with Serbia, Belgium and Bulgaria after crunch talks on tackling the Continent-wide migrant crisis at a summit in Granada, Spain. The Conservative leader and hard-right Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni led negotiations on the fringes of the European Political Community meeting.
The pair forced migration onto the agenda of the historic meeting of about 50 European leaders, by forming a breakaway group. Speaking after the talks, he said: “This is a shared European challenge, that’s very clear - you’ve had thousands of arrivals across the European Continent.”
Mr Sunak said the trio of agreements signed in Granada “will help combat the criminal gangs upstream”. Hailing talks with the leaders of the Netherlands, Italy, France, Albania and the EU, he insisted: “All of these things are making a difference - the numbers of people coming into the UK this year are down by a fifth; they are up in the rest of Europe.”
Earlier, the PM refused to repeat Home Secretary Suella Braverman's claim that a "hurricane" of mass migration loomed. Asked whether he agreed with her words, the PM told the BBC: "Illegal migration is putting unsustainable pressure on our country and, for me, it is non-negotiable that it should be the British people who decide who comes to our country and not criminal gangs."
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