During the Lib Dem annual conference, there was a suggestion to rename small boats crossing the Channel as “Brexit boats.”
The proposal came after leader Sir Ed Davey criticized Nigel Farage for not apologizing to voters for the loss of the ability to return migrants to Europe post-Brexit. The discussion centered on whether this term would hold Brexit supporters responsible for the situation.
A representative from the Mole Valley Liberal Democrats group stated, “Ed Davey recently mentioned that if the UK were still part of the EU, we could simply send the arriving individuals back on the boats they came in. Can we coin the term ‘Brexit boats’ for these vessels? We need a concise term, and ‘Brexit boats’ fits the bill.”
Lord Mike German supported the idea, linking it to the Dublin agreement, which the UK exited upon leaving the European Union.
Sir Ed argued that Brexit led to the UK losing access to the Dublin agreement, which allowed for the return of asylum seekers to the first European country they arrived in.
He emphasized in an interview with the BBC that Farage and the Conservatives should apologize for abolishing the return agreements with European countries, which had been an effective deterrent against irregular migration.
Critics countered this view by stating that the Dublin agreement had flaws. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the Lib Dem leader of distorting historical facts. Only 7% of outgoing requests under the agreement were accepted.
Data from the Home Office from 2015 to 2018 revealed that the UK made 18,953 requests to transfer individuals to other EU states, but only 1,395 people were actually relocated. In the same period, the UK received 7,365 requests to transfer individuals, with 2,365 approvals granted.
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