PRIME MINISTER Sir Keir Starmer boasted of detaining “the first illegal migrants” today under his “morally repugnant” new deal with France.

The Prime Minster seemed delighted with his achievement, which could see up to 50 desperate people a week locked up and refused their right to claim asylum.

“We have detained the first illegal migrants under our new deal before returning them to France,” the former human rights lawyer crowed.

“No gimmicks, just results. If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back. When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it.”

Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds was less than impressed.

“People are being unjustly punished simply for exercising their right to seek asylum in the UK — through the only route left open to them,” he said.

“Even if the government fails to block their claims or send them back to France, they will still endure needless detention and harm to their mental health.

“The fear, isolation, and uncertainty are especially harrowing for people who have already suffered serious abuse and trauma during their journeys and in the countries they’ve fled.

“Meanwhile, resources are wasted, resources that should be used to process asylum claims fairly and efficiently.

“Rather than offering protection to those fleeing war and persecution, the UK is shamefully using them as political pawns in a wider deterrence strategy.

“This reckless policy not only ignores the root causes of migration but risks pushing smugglers toward more dangerous and hidden routes.

“All of this is done under a deeply flawed deal with France — a deal that sacrifices human lives for political convenience.”

Home secretary Yvette Cooper argued the government was prepared to “robustly defend against any legal challenge,” but Steve Smith of refugee charity Care4Calais hinted it may be prepared to try.

He said: “It is morally repugnant that the government is detaining people before the online application system in France is even live.

“Let’s be clear, however, this grubby deal is all about permanently denying people the right to sanctuary.

“Offering a safe route to one person who has a strong case to be offered protection, while denying somebody else, who may have an equally strong case, is abhorrent.

“It must be challenged, and we are keeping all our options open to do so.”