Whatever one thinks of the EU, those who promoted Brexit thought even less of the UK public.
Dorset Eye exposed the Tory collusion in conning the public in January:
Tories Knew Brexit Would Block Return of Illegal Migrants, Leaked Recording Reveals
A senior Conservative MP and member of Kemi Badenoch’s top team has admitted the government knew Brexit would make it significantly harder to return illegal migrants to EU countries — despite publicly insisting otherwise at the time.
In a leaked recording obtained by Sky News, Chris Philp, now the Shadow Home Secretary and previously Immigration Minister under Boris Johnson, conceded that the UK’s exit from the European Union — and, crucially, from the Dublin III regulation — meant Britain could no longer rely on returning asylum seekers to the first EU country they passed through.
Philp’s comments expose a glaring contradiction between the Johnson government’s public narrative and its private understanding of the post-Brexit reality. While the public were told Brexit would restore control of Britain’s borders, the recording paints a picture of a government surprised by the consequences of its own policies.
“When we did check it out… (we) found that about half the people crossing the Channel had claimed asylum previously elsewhere in Europe,” Philp said during a Zoom call with fellow shadow cabinet members on 28 April, just ahead of the local elections.
He went on, “Now, because we’re out of the European Union now, we are out of the Dublin III regulations, and so we can’t any longer rely on sending people back to the place where they first claimed asylum.”
At the time, the Johnson administration claimed it could make asylum claims “inadmissible” for those who arrived illegally — yet never set out a working system for handling such cases nor established replacement agreements with EU countries.
Instead, ministers spoke of future bilateral deals. One Home Office source told journalists at the time that being free of Dublin rules would allow the UK to negotiate “our own bilateral returns agreements”—though” these never materialised immediately.
Despite this, Johnson’s government doubled down on claims that leaving Dublin was a benefit, with his spokesman calling the EU rules “inflexible and rigid” in the summer of 2020.
Philp’s comments now suggest the government knew the implications were more problematic than they were admitting.
In the same recording, Philp defended the controversial Rwanda policy as the new deterrent plan following the UK’s exit from the EU asylum framework.
But that scheme — announced in April 2022, over a year after Brexit came into full effect — was blocked by the European Court of Human Rights and never saw any asylum seekers deported.
When Labour came to power in 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer scrapped the Rwanda policy entirely, describing it as both ineffective and immoral. Since then, the government has shifted towards increased enforcement at home and negotiations with European partners.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper recently announced a 20% increase in migrant returns since Labour took office, as well as a 40% rise in illegal working raids and arrests. However, the core issue of how to manage asylum claims from those arriving via small boats remains unresolved.
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed on Sky News that negotiations with France are ongoing, with a view to establishing a returns agreement. “This is going to take really hard work,” she said, “and of course that’s going to involve conversations with our counterparts on the European continent.”
The Dublin Regulation allowed EU states to return asylum seekers to the first safe country in which they arrived. But critics had long noted that countries such as Italy and Greece often failed to enforce the rules — and the system was already under severe strain before Brexit.
Nevertheless, the UK’s departure from the regulation has stripped it of any formal framework for returning asylum seekers to EU states. Rejoining Dublin is not an option, as it is only available to full EU members.
With record levels of Channel crossings so far in 2025 and no functioning EU returns agreement in place, the long-promised control over borders remains elusive — and the gap between political promises and policy reality has been laid bare.
Top 10 Lies
1. “We send the EU £350 million a week – let’s fund the NHS instead”
- Claim: Leaving the EU would allow the UK to redirect £350 million a week to the NHS.
- Reality: The figure excluded the rebate the UK received and EU funds returned to the UK. The actual net contribution was closer to £200 million a week. The money was never fully redirected to the NHS, and senior Brexiteers later admitted the figure was misleading.
2. “Turkey is joining the EU”
- Claim: Turkey was about to join the EU, which would allow 80 million Turks to move to the UK.
- Reality: Turkey’s accession was stalled for years and remains extremely unlikely due to political and human rights concerns. The UK had a veto over any new member joining the EU.
3. “Brexit will mean more money for public services”
- Claim: Leaving the EU would free up vast sums for investment in schools, police, and social care.
- Reality: Economic forecasts — including from the UK’s own Office for Budget Responsibility — show Brexit has reduced GDP growth and tax receipts, limiting public spending.
4. “There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside”
- Claim: Made by Jacob Rees-Mogg, implying Brexit would be economically and politically beneficial with no negatives.
- Reality: Brexit has led to increased trade barriers, bureaucracy, skills shortages, and inflation. The UK economy has underperformed compared to similar economies since Brexit.
5. “Trade with the EU will continue seamlessly”
- Claim: Brexiteers claimed the UK would easily retain frictionless trade with the EU.
- Reality: The UK is now outside the EU single market and customs union. This has introduced customs checks, border delays, and reduced exports — particularly for small businesses.
6. “The UK holds all the cards in negotiations”
- Claim: The EU needed the UK more than the UK needed the EU, so Britain would easily secure favourable trade terms.
- Reality: The UK faced tough negotiations and had to compromise on many issues. The final deal did not replicate the benefits of EU membership.
7. “We can have our cake and eat it”
- Claim: Boris Johnson’s famous line suggesting the UK could leave the EU while keeping all the benefits of membership.
- Reality: Brexit resulted in the loss of many EU benefits — free movement, single market access, and collaborative programmes — with added economic and diplomatic friction.
8. “Brexit will solve the immigration problem”
- Claim: Leaving the EU would allow the UK to control immigration and reduce numbers.
- Reality: Net migration has hit record highs post-Brexit. The UK replaced free movement with a points-based system, which shifted migration patterns but did not reduce overall numbers.
9. “Leaving the EU won’t affect the Northern Ireland border”
- Claim: There would be no need for a hard border in Ireland or any disruption.
- Reality: The Northern Ireland Protocol introduced trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, causing political and logistical tensions still unresolved.
10. “British sovereignty will be fully restored”
- Claim: Brexit would return full legislative and judicial sovereignty to the UK.
- Reality: The UK gained formal sovereignty but still faces constraints from international law, global trade rules, and the need to negotiate with other powers like the EU. Many decisions are now made with less influence from the UK in Brussels.
