LABOUR leader Sir Keir Starmer missed “an opportunity to inject some decency and compassion into the debate around refugees” by focusing on “smashing the gangs” behind risky Channel crossings in small boats, refugee campaign group Care4Calais said today.

And leading trade unionist Matt Wrack, FBU’s general secretary and TUC president, said Sir Keir “was in danger of pandering to right-wing Tory rhetoric.”

Sir Keir said an anti-terrorism-style international crackdown tackling people-smuggling gangs would be the focus of a package of measures introduced under a Labour government.