By W. G. S. D. Wijesinghe, Jadetimes News
The deputy leader of the Labour group on Tower Hamlets council in east London has resigned from the party following remarks made by Sir Keir Starmer about Bangladesh in response to a question regarding the deportation of illegal migrants. In a statement posted on X, Councillor Sabina Akhtar expressed her discontent, stating, “I cannot be proud of the party anymore when the leader singles out my community and insults my Bangladeshi identity.”
During a Q&A session with Sun readers, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned, "At the moment, people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed." He was responding to a question about Labour’s plans for deporting individuals who enter the UK illegally. Starmer later clarified his comments during a campaign visit to Staffordshire, stating he did not intend to cause any concern or offence to British Bangladeshis, who significantly contribute to the country. He explained that his remarks were about Bangladesh being a safe country with a returns agreement with the UK.
Despite his clarification, a video clip of Starmer's comments has circulated on social media, edited out of context to imply otherwise. The clip ends with a call to “vote for independent candidates,” though its origin is unclear. Labour has denounced the clip as “misinformation.” Rushanara Ali, Labour’s candidate for Bethnal Green and Stepney, expressed concerns over the clip, noting significant distress within the Bangladeshi community. Ali, the first British Bangladeshi elected to the Commons, emphasized her commitment to representing the community’s interests in a future Labour government. During the Sun event, Starmer criticized the Conservative government for a 44% reduction in deportations and vowed to reinstate staff in the returns unit and ensure deportations to countries of origin, excluding Rwanda.
Starmer specifically mentioned that current deportations from countries like Bangladesh were not being processed, despite a May 2023 agreement between the UK and Bangladesh to expedite the removal of illegal migrants. Home Office statistics indicate that 12 failed asylum seekers were deported to Bangladesh in 2023, with 66 returning voluntarily. Apsana Begum, Labour's candidate for Poplar and Limehouse, condemned the use of "dog whistle racism" against Bangladeshis or any migrant community in a video on X.
According to the 2021 census, over a third of Tower Hamlets population is of Bangladeshi ethnicity. A Labour Party spokesperson defended Starmer, stating the clip was misleading and reaffirming Labour’s policy of returning individuals without legal rights to safe countries, using Bangladesh as an example due to the existing bilateral agreement.