Johnson to tell Charles he is proud of migrant plan
‘The policy is a sensible measure and it’s a plan to deal with the grotesque abuse of innocent people crossing the Channel’
BORIS JOHNSON is prepared to declare he is “proud” of his Rwanda migrant policy during talks with the Prince of Wales in the East African country tomorrow, The Daily Telegraph understands.
The pair will meet for the first time since it emerged that the Prince privately described the planned deportation of asylum seekers to the country as “appalling”.
Rwanda is hosting this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which the Prince and Prime Minister will attend. Clarence House described tomorrow morning’s planned encounter as Mr Johnson “popping in for a cup of tea”.
Sources close to the Prime Minister and the Prince played down expectations that the migrant policy would be discussed, but it was not ruled out.
Mr Johnson was last night boarding a flight to Kigali when he said he had “no evidence” for the claim that the Prince called the policy “appalling”.
Asked whether he would tell the Prince he was wrong to attack the policy, the Prime Minister told reporters: “I think that the policy is a sensible measure and it’s a plan to deal with the grotesque abuse of innocent people crossing the Channel. It hasn’t been ruled unlawful by any court.”
Mr Johnson added that he was “very much looking forward” to seeing the Prince.
It is understood that Mr Johnson, who has been robust in public in his dismissal of criticism of the approach, would argue the policy’s merits if the topic came up.
One of his allies said: “Our economic and migration partnership with Rwanda is something we’re proud to have struck. We’re encouraged by the
Boris Johnson boarding his plane at Stansted last night before flying out to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali.