If Shabana Mahmood didn’t realise on Friday night that she’d taken up the hardest role in Government, the new Home Secretary certainly does now. On her first day in Marsham Street, 1,097 people crossed the English Channel in 17 dinghies. This is the tenth-highest daily total since the crisis began in 2018. Ms Mahmood will not be afforded time to learn the ropes of one of the most complex Governmental briefs.
The public are demanding action that will lead to boat crossings coming down, migrant hotels closures, and for the asylum system to have order again. And they are demanding it now. Labour’s electoral hopes hinge on it. It should be said that the new Home Secretary is expected to take a more radical approach than her predecessor, Yvette Cooper.
Ms Mahmood has already faced an incredibly difficult first year in Government. Within days of taking office, the prison service was on the brink of collapse due to years of failures.
This forced the then-Justice Secretary to take radical steps to overt a complete breakdown in law and order.
The steps she took proved to be hugely controversial, including announcing plans to let out killers and rapists early and allowing tens of thousands of criminals to avoid jail entirely.
But Ms Mahmood will have no choice but to take a much firmer stance on illegal migration. Reforms in this area cannot lead to accusations of being soft, like her justice reforms.
As it stands, smugglers are operating at an almost industrial scale in Northern France and can seemingly launch boats at will.
The Home Office and National Crime Agency will point to an increase in boat and engine seizures.
But internet searches on Chinese marketplaces show that new boats can be ordered within minutes, at the click of a button.
So Ms Mahmood will likely have to focus her attention on making the UK less attractive to illegal migrants.
To many, it is simply known as “El Dorado”.
So effective deterrents must be established. The Home Secretary must convince her French counter to routinely intercept migrant dinghies in the water.
And plans for third-country return hubs must be prioritised.
Otherwise, the smugglers’ business model will remain intact for years to come.
And the public will not be at all forgiving to a Labour Government that promised to smash the gangs.