During the Lib Dem annual conference, a suggestion was put forward to rename small boats crossing the Channel as “Brexit boats”. This proposal came after leader Sir Ed Davey criticized Nigel Farage for not apologizing to voters for the loss of the ability to return migrants to Europe post-Brexit. The discussion raised concerns about attributing blame to the architects of Brexit.
A member of the Mole Valley Liberal Democrats group proposed using the term “Brexit boat” to describe these boats, emphasizing the need for a concise message. Lord Mike German supported the idea, linking it to the Dublin agreement, which the UK exited upon leaving the European Union.
Sir Ed highlighted that leaving the EU resulted in losing access to the Dublin agreement, a system that allowed the return of asylum seekers to the first country they arrived in. He called for accountability from Nigel Farage and the Conservatives, stating that the pre-Brexit return agreements with European countries served as an effective deterrent.
Critics countered this viewpoint by labeling the Dublin agreement as flawed. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the Lib Dem leader of distorting historical facts. Data from the Home Office revealed that a small percentage of outgoing requests under the Dublin agreement were accepted.
Between 2015 and 2018, the UK submitted 18,953 outgoing requests to transfer individuals to other EU states, with 1,395 people being relocated. During the same period, the UK received 7,365 incoming requests to transfer individuals, of which 2,365 were approved.
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