Ed Davey proposes UK join EU migration pact to tackle small boats

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the United Kingdom to join the European Union’s Migration and Asylum Pact to combat small boat crossings. Davey argues that participation would allow the UK to return asylum seekers to the first EU country they entered, thereby “destroying the business model” of human trafficking gangs.

The pact, which entered into force in June, involves mandatory screening and a system where member states must either accept migrants from countries facing high arrival rates or provide financial resources. Joining would require the UK to accept a baseline of migrants and potentially pay fines for rejected individuals.

Critics, including former Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration John Vine, have opposed the proposal. Vine warned that joining the pact would effectively hand control of UK borders back to Brussels, reversing sovereignty gained through Brexit. He argued that individual nation-states should remain responsible for securing their own borders and questioned whether the pact would truly stop organized crime.