Trump praises Starmer on turning around migrant boats: ‘Fantastic thing’

President Donald Trump praised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for curbing boats of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel, telling the United Kingdom’s leader he’s doing a “fantastic thing.” 

Trump stopped for questions with Starmer and his wife, Victoria Starmer, ahead of their meeting at Trump Turnberry golf club in Scotland on Monday.

“Immigration is a big, a big factor. And I think, frankly, if they’re coming from other countries, and you don’t know who they are, and, are they coming from prisons? We have them where they came in from prisons who are moving them all out,” Trump began. “Last month, we had zero people come into the country, zero other than coming through legal means.”

“You’re doing not a good thing, you’re doing a fantastic thing,” Trump added. So I know nothing about the boats. But if the boats are loaded up with bad people, and they usually are, because, you know, other countries don’t send their best, they send people that they don’t want, they’re not stupid people. And they send the people that they don’t want. And I’ve heard that you’ve taken a much stronger stance on.”

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In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported the lowest monthly total of illegal border encounters in the agency’s history. Border Patrol made 6,072 apprehensions along the southwest border, reflecting a 93% decrease in illegal encounters recorded during the same month last year under former President Joe Biden’s administration. The Trump administration released zero illegal aliens for parole into the U.S. interior – compared to 27,766 released in June 2024 under Biden. 

Starmer told reporters on Monday that the Labour government has facilitated the removal of approximately 35,000 people from the United Kingdom since taking power in July 2024. 

“We’re very pleased that we’re getting on with returning people who’ve got no right to be here,” Starmer said. 

“That’s great. As somebody that loves this country – I love this country,” Trump responded, noting that his mother was born in Scotland. “And it’s an incredible place, a beautiful place. And, if that be the case, I congratulate you.”

Trump said Europe is a “much different place” than it was five to 10 years ago due to mass migration. 

“And they’ve got to get their act together. If they don’t, you’re not going to have Europe anymore as you know it. And you can’t do that. This is a magnificent part of the world. And you cannot ruin it,” Trump said. 

“You cannot let people come in here illegally,” Trump continued. “And what happens is there’ll be murderers, there’ll be drug dealers, there’ll be all sorts of things that other countries don’t want. And they send them to you, and they send them to us, and you’ve got to stop them. And I hear that you’ve taken a very strong stand on immigration and taking a strong stand on immigration is imperative.” 

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Their meeting on Monday comes on the heels of Trump striking the framework of a major trade deal with the European Union. The deal does not center on immigration but has broader implications regarding U.S. economic pressure on the bloc.

At a press conference in London earlier this month, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a “one in, one out” deal intended to deter migrant channel crossings. The “pilot” scheme would allow the U.K. to detain and send back migrants who arrived on its shores in small boats from France. In return, Starmer agreed to accept the same number of migrants from France who have not tried to enter the U.K. illegally and who are deemed to have legitimate asylum claims.

Starmer is facing increased political pressure to deliver on his campaign promise of deterring tens of thousands of migrants from coming across the English Channel. 

Small boat crossings are up by more than 50% since January compared to the same time period last year, according to data from the British Home Office. 

Last week, Starmer’s government unveiled what it deemed the “world’s first” sanctions regime targeting migrant-smuggling gangs and other entities facilitating small boat crossings. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the scheme targeting the flow of money and suppliers of small boats and fake passports provides authorities with a toolkit to freeze assets, cut offenders off from the U.K. financial system and ban offenders from traveling to the U.K. 

After a landslide Labour election win last year, Starmer ended a controversial policy under the previous Conservative government that allowed deportations to Rwanda for migrants who made illegal channel crossings. To replace it, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper launched a new U.K. Border Security Command. It’s intended to take an enforcement and intelligence-based approach to better protect borders, identify new small boat routes and disrupt migrant smuggling operations.