Sadiq Khan joins migration revolt against Shabana Mahmood after PM undermines Home Secretary on small boats

However, a Labour revolt forced the Home Secretary to launch a consultation on her own proposals.

“I’m somebody who’s not in favour of changing rules retrospectively, but also I’m somebody who recognises we need to control our borders,” Lord Khan said.

“We need to make sure those who come here contribute.

“But also in our immigration policy, we need compassion as well.

“And I’m confident once Shabana Mahmood has taken on board the responses to the consultation, she’ll announce a policy that we can all get behind.”

Lord Khan’s comments mean the London Mayor joins high-profile Cabinet ministers Angela Rayner and Miatta Fahnbulleh in speaking out against the Home Secretary’s proposed plan.

However, Ms Mahmood’s comments at the Home Affairs Select Committee on the small boats crisis were also undermined by Andy Burnham this morning.

The Prime Minister broke ranks with his own Home Secretary to blame Brexit for the crisis in the Channel.

Mr Burnham said: “I think we’ve got weaker control now.

“The reason the small boats crisis has arisen is because we can’t return people, and people know we can’t do that in the same way that we used to be able to do.”

However, Ms Mahmood directly rejected the suggestion Brexit was to blame during an appearance at the Home Affairs Select Committee earlier this year.

Ms Mahmood, who voted Remain in the 2016 referendun, said: “I’m sure there’s lots of other debates to be had about the rights and wrongs of Brexit.

“But is Brexit responsible for the boats? I don’t think that’s true.”

Mr Burnham appears to have been referring to the Dublin Convention.

The Home Secretary suggested the Dublin Convention had not worked as intended while the UK was a member of the EU.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage blasted the Prime Minister for trying to link the Channel crossing crisis to Brexit.

The UK’s final few years of participation in the Dublin Convention would indicate that Britain was a net recipient of asylum seekers.

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.

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.

Labour MPs have also been left divided on whether Ms Mahmood or Mr Burnham are correct.

GB News has approached the Home Office for comment.