What's happened
Labour leader Keir Starmer indicated that his party would seek an EU-wide returns agreement to tackle small boat crossings in the English Channel.
Why it matters
The event is significant as it highlights the differing approaches of the two major political parties in the UK towards immigration and border control.
What the papers say
The Guardian says that the government's plans to stop small boat crossings have been ineffective, while The Independent reports on the accusations made by the Conservatives that Labour plans to join an EU-wide migrant quota scheme. The Times highlights Labour's proposal to resettle child refugees in the EU with family in the UK, and The Huffington Post discusses the political implications of the small boats crisis for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
How we got here
The small boats crisis, with increasing numbers of migrants crossing the English Channel, has been a key political issue. Labour has proposed an EU-wide returns deal and closer cooperation with Europe to tackle people-smuggling.
More on these topics
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
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The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, and also known colloquially as the Tories, Tory Party, or simply the Conservatives, is a political party in the United Kingdom.