Tag Archives: migration

Sophy Ridge Skewers Minister With 1 Gut-Punching Point About Ex-Tory MP’s Defection To Labour

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Sky News’ Sophy Ridge made a very good point when asking a government minister about Natalie Elphicke’s recent defection to Labour.

The ex-Tory MP dramatically crossed the floor yesterday and released a statement accusing Rishi Sunak of “failing to keep our borders safe”.

Elphicke was seen to be on the right of the Conservative Party and has repeatedly shared her hardline views about illegal immigration – while regularly criticising Labour’s own policies on immigration.

Last night, science secretary Michelle Donelan said her defection to Labour over immigration was therefore “completely and utterly nonsensical”.

“That’s the thing though isn’t it,” Ridge replied. “How bad does she think your plan is? She must think it’s really bad.”

“I don’t think that’s about our plan at all,” Donelan said.

Ridge replied: “Well it is, that’s what she said it’s about – that she doesn’t trust Rishi [Sunak] to deliver on illegal immigration.

“She doesn’t think Labour’s plan is great, but she thinks yours is even worse.”

The miniter said it was more about Elphicke’s judgement and that government’s plan was already getting illegal immigration down by a third.

The Sky News host said: “Sorry, illegal immigration is down by a third? What stats are those?”

When the minister explained she was talking about the boat crossings, Ridge cut across and said: “Currently, it’s at record levels.”

“Yeah but we haven’t finished the year – I meant annually,” Donelan replied.

“At this point in the year, it’s at record levels of small boat crossings. It’s not down by a third,” Ridge said.

The minister then blamed the figures on the delay in passing the Rwanda bill through parliament.

She also said the new act was already working as a deterrent as Ireland have been complaining that more refugees are arriving from the UK.

But Ridge replied: “I’m happy to say it’s a deterrent when we have evidence it’s a deterrent. Right now, it’s a deterrent for people already in the UK. Which I’m guessing, is not what you’re aiming for.”

Donelan continually tried to say the government has a “multi-prong strategy” but the Sky News host repeatedly reminded her: “It hasn’t worked!”

“Just having a plan isn’t enough,” Ridge reminded her.

Explaining how she empathises with Britons’ frustration over the issue, Donelan said: “I always view it as one of our values, fairness.

“It’s inherent in our values – we literally invented the queue.

“It’s downright unfair that illegal immigrants think they can bypass our systems and come here after having been in a safe country, and that’s what we are determined to stop.”

Actually, academics previously told The Times that is a “mistaken idea” that Brits invented the queue.

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‘Are You Not Mortified?’: Dermot O’Leary Roasts Sunak Over Braverman’s Immigration Comments

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Rishi Sunak was asked on live TV if he was “mortified” by Suella Braverman’s controversial comments about immigration.

The home secretary said the west was facing a “hurricane” of migrants in the years to come during her speech to the Tory conference.

Appearing on ITV’s this morning, the prime minister was asked by presenter Dermot O’Leary for his thoughts on Braverman’s rhetoric.

In particular, he expressed concern about her use of the word “hurricane”.

“Are you not embarrassed and ashamed when you hear words like that? Because I’m meeting you for the first time and you seem like a decent guy” O’Leary asked.

The prime minister responded: “I think that this debate gets charged a lot where people focus on one thing. So, if you just take a step back, what do I think we all agree on? We all agree that Britain is incredibly welcoming place. We haven’t failed in any way.”

O’Leary said: “Are you not mortified? That’s evil. It’s not a good word.“

Sunak replied: “They are being exploited by criminal gangs. And that’s why I’ve said it’s got to be … the British people who decide who comes to our country and not criminal gangs. They are exploiting vulnerable people.”

O’Leary did not let Sunak off the hook, adding, “It’s this weaponising of the word that worries me. It’s demonising the people that come here in the first place.

“It’s an issue, of course it is. It’s the incendiary use of that word, that I think most people find unhelpful and harmful because it’s not the people who are coming here’s fault.”

Failing to answer the question, Sunak replied, “I think your viewers probably feel that there is an enormous sense of frustration that there are tens of thousands of people who have come here illegally over the past few years, and that’s not right.

“And I think most people in their local community may now have a hotel that’s been put over to house illegal migrants that’s costing taxpayers.”

Rishi Sunak on This Morning
Rishi Sunak on This Morning

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Meanwhile, the PM also sent well-wishes to This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby after a man was charged over an alleged plot to kidnap the presenter.

On Friday morning, it was reported that the daytime star was “under police guard at her home” after “sinister” messages were found on a man’s phone reportedly threatening to “seriously harm” the daytime TV presenter.

Sunak said he was “so sorry to hear about everything that is going on with Holly”.

“I wanted to send my best to her and her family and to all of you,” the PM added.

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Barge To Accommodate Asylum Seekers Docks In The UK

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A vessel that will house up to 500 asylum seekers arrived in the UK on Tuesday after parliament passed its long-debated bill to curb migration.

The barge Bibby Stockholm was pulled by a tug into Portland harbor, off the Dorset coast in south west England, after the government’s controversial legislation overcame resistance in the House of Lords and was passed.

The vessel and the bill are both parts of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s strategy to stop migrants from making risky English Channel crossings in small boats. The legislation will become law after receiving the assent of King Charles III.

The Conservative government has pledged to “stop the boats” – overcrowded dinghies and other small craft that cross from northern France carrying migrants who hope to live in the UK. More than 45,000 people crossed the Channel to Britain in 2022; several died in the attempt.

The bill is intended to deter those journeys and will prevent migrants from claiming asylum in the UK. if they arrive illegally. Under the legislation, those caught will be sent back home or deported to another safe country and banned from ever re-entering the UK.

The government planned to send some of those who arrive without authorisation to Rwanda, but last month the Court of Appeal ruled it was illegal. The government is appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Sunak cheered the passage of the bill but said the government must prevail at the higher court for the law to function properly.

“This is an important part of our work to stop the boats. Obviously it needs to be paired with the Rwanda partnership,” said Sunak’s spokesperson, Max Blain. “It’s right that we have this power in place so it can be utilised swiftly and we remain confident we will be successful in the challenge in the Supreme Court.”

The bill was approved after an all-night tussle on Monday between the House of Commons, where the governing Conservatives have a majority, and the unelected House of Lords, which can amend but not block legislation.

Elected MPs defeated amendments that would have included protections for modern slavery and child detention limits.

The United Nations human rights and refugee chiefs said the bill was at odds with Britain’s obligations under international law and will have “profound consequences” for people seeking protection.

The UN warned that the law would even deny protection to children with legitimate claims who are traveling without parents – some of whom might have survived human trafficking.

The Bibby Stockholm is expected to start housing people in two weeks. Its arrival on Tuesday at the port inspired two groups of protesters opposed to it.

Some locals are worried about the impact new arrivals will have on their town. A second group, Stand Up to Racism, said it welcomed refugees but objected to what it calls a “prison barge”.

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