A REFUGEE expert has labelled Labour's migration plans "overwhelmingly harmful".

Writing on Twitter/X, Daniel Sohege broke down Labour's migration policies as outlined in the King's Speech piece by piece, and could find few points he agreed with.

He said: "What Labour has done today in the policies it has announced is play straight into the business model of gangs, smuggling and trafficking, and potentially leave people seeking safety at more risk.

"No suggestion of investing in community support schemes, which are vastly cheaper as well as more suitable, to provide accommodation for people seeking asylum while they are having their claims processed.

"There was also no mention of providing people seeking asylum with better right to work options – a policy which even had cross-party support under the last government."

He criticised plans to increase enforcement, as well as the aim to "fast-track returns" for people coming from "safe countries".

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Sohege wrote: "Increased border security actually strengthens smuggling gangs.

"You aren't tackling criminals with this. What you are doing is actually increasing their grip. I know all this sounds counter-intuitive, but in all things there is balance.

"You go too far one way, you get unintended, or in this case well documented, consequences."

He went on to explain that people fleeing places where they felt unsafe often faced dire consequences after being returned.

"When people are returned, the [smuggling] gangs don't just walk away. They make an example of you so others don't speak to the authorities."

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He also pointed to the general inability of enforcement in the English Channel to stop people trying to seek asylum.

"[Smuggling by boat] actually makes up a tiny proportion of channel crossings.

"Traffickers are more likely to bring people in via other routes, often on visas through 'official ports of entry', such as airports, with false promises and then exploit them once they arrive."

Some parts of the bill did draw Sohege's approval, though, such as the discarding of the Rwanda scheme.

He also thought the enabling of more claims to be processed was beneficial.

Keir Starmer said during a press conference on Thursday that: "There’s no easy silver bullet, if there was it would have been fired a long time ago.

“It’s difficult, it’s hard, it’s challenging but I’m absolutely convinced it’s a very serious problem and it requires a very serious response.

“And that’s why we have put to one side the gimmick of Rwanda and are pursuing the serious response which is to smash the gangs that are running this vile trade.”