Ceuta migrant chaos proves UK was right to leave EU, says ex-Brexit chief

Chaotic scenes in Ceuta prove Britain was right to leave the European Union, a leading Brexit campaigner has told GB News.

Lord Elliott, who headed up the official Vote Leave campaign in 2016, claimed Brussels's inaction following yesterday's arrival of 60,000 illegal migrants demonstrated how the UK is independently able to address the crisis in the Channel better than if it was still a member of the bloc.

Pro-EU campaigners have long suggested the UK's own migration crisis in the Channel, with ex-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey blaming Nigel Farage for a surge in small boat arrivals.

However, Ceuta’s 60,000 figure dwarfs the total number of migrants who arrived on British shores from Calais in both 2025 and 2026 so far.

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Speaking to GB News, Lord Elliott said: “The horrific situation in Ceuta show that Britain was right to leave the European Union.

“The Italian Government is also naturally concerned, but they have to rely on the EU to act, to give them permission to suspend the Schengen Agreement.

“Being outside the EU, the British Government can act independently.

“There are additional measures we need to take, like leaving the ECHR, and we need a government focused and though enough to address the crisis, but the power is in our hands, thanks to Brexit.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is now determined to split with Brussels over the implementation of free movement in the Schengen Area.

The Eurosceptic, who has stopped short of calling for Italy to leave the EU, temporarily ordered the closure of the country's sea and air borders with Spain.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron also decided to strengthen controls along its land border with Spain.

But anti-Brexit campaigners have claimed the UK’s withdrawal from the EU’s Dublin convention hampered efforts to stop migrants arriving on British shores.

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Despite the fury, the UK's final few years of participation in the Dublin Convention would indicate that Britain was a net recipient of asylum seekers.

The figure comes in stark contrast to the 131 who were transferred into the UK in 2015, when 510 asylum seekers had been transferred out.

Home Office data revealed that 676 asylum seekers were transferred from Britain in 2016 and 2017, while 1,019 illegal migrants were transferred to the UK over the same period.

The problem worsened in 2018, when only 209 out of 5,500 requests for asylum seekers to be returned were completed, while the UK accepted 1,215 migrants.

Andy Burnham, who only replaced Sir Keir Starmer in No10 earlier this month, had suggested the UK should rejoin the EU in his lifetime before launching his tilt for the Labour leadership.

However, after deciding to contest the Brexit-backing seat of Makerfield, Mr Burnham watered down his stance on reversing the result of the 2016 referendum.

Speaking about the crisis in Ceuta and continued arrivals of small boat migrants in Kent, the Prime Minister said: “It's a concerning situation, and I know people will see those scenes ​and want something to be done.

“We are making contact with the Spanish government, the ‌Spanish authorities, to provide support, but also to understand the implications of that situation.”

He added: “I will make a visit shortly to Border Force to see the situation myself.”

More than 200,000 small boat migrants have arrived in Britain since 2018, including almost 70,000 since Labour came to power in July 2024.

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