Securing our borders is not racist, says Sunak
Former chancellor plans to use cruise ships for illegal immigrants, despite claims it would break rights laws
RISHI SUNAK has insisted there is “absolutely nothing racist” about wanting secure borders, following criticism of his plan to tackle illegal immigration.
The former chancellor said he knew what racism was because he had been a victim of it – and claimed that those who come to the UK legally also want to see action to crack down on those who do not.
But Liz Truss’s team claimed his immigration plans could breach domestic human rights law.
Mr Sunak suggested that illegal immigrants could be housed off-shore in cruise ships, but Team Truss said the use of cruise ships would likely be illegal because it could amount to “arbitrary detention”.
One Sunak ally hit back, saying: “Good to see Remainer Truss on the side of human rights lawyers.”
The Foreign Secretary also promoted her plans for immigration, including sending more illegal migrants to countries such as Rwanda. And she said she would look again at ways to turn small boats back across the Channel – a proposal blocked by Boris Johnson.
At the weekend, Mr Sunak committed to an annual cap on the number of refugees coming to Britain, and also committed to continuing the Rwanda scheme.
In a video to promote his immigration plan, Mr Sunak said: “I know what racism is: I’ve experienced it myself.
“So I want to be clear with you all – there is absolutely nothing racist about wanting Britain to have secure borders that work.
“In fact, those immigrants who came here legally are the first to say: ‘We played by the rules; why should other people get away with breaking them?’”
But one Whitehall source dismissed the ex-chancellor’s plans as “fantasy politics”, saying he had rarely raised the issue of immigration in Cabinet.
Ms Truss’s team said the use of cruise ships would likely be illegal under the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights.
They claimed it will ultimately end up creating prison ships in areas that are in need of tourism and investment. And they said it was unclear how the proposed refugee quotas would work in practice, adding: “Proposals must be deliverable and grounded in reality, not simply warm words.”
Mr Sunak’s campaign hit back, saying: “Rishi is clear he will do whatever is legally necessary to ensure adults who come to this country illegally have no route to asylum.”
His 10-point plan included a commitment to a narrower definition of who qualifies for asylum compared to that from the ECHR, with enhanced powers to detain, tag and monitor illegal migrants. Mr Sunak also promised to give Parliament control over who comes to the UK by creating an annual cap on refugees accepted each year, albeit one that can be changed in the case of sudden emergencies. He said: “Our immigration system is broken and we have to be honest about that. Whether you believe that migration should be high or low, we can all agree that it should be legal and controlled.”
A source on Team Truss said: “It is
‘Rishi is clear he will do whatever is legally necessary to ensure adults who come to this country illegally have no route to asylum’
unclear how his proposed refugee quotas will work – will he include the 20 to 30,000 that have already arrived illegally across the Channel so far this year?”
Ms Truss promised to increase the UK’S front-line Border Force by 20 per cent and double the Border Force Maritime staffing levels.
The Foreign Secretary said: “We need to break the cycle of these appalling gangs and stop people taking dangerous journeys across the Channel.
“As prime minister, I am determined to see the Rwanda policy through to full implementation as well as exploring other countries where we can work on similar partnerships.
“I’ll make sure we have the right levels of force and protection at our borders. I will not cower to the ECHR and its continued efforts to try and control immigration policy.”
A source close to Ms Truss said: “As Foreign Secretary, Liz worked closely with Priti Patel to formulate the generation-defining Rwanda policy.
“As prime minister, she will do whatever it takes to protect our borders. She’s been frustrated with the ECHR and its mission creep. She is prepared to take a tougher stance and deliver the reforms required so the ECHR works for Britain.”
Truss backer Tom Pursglove said: “No simple answers, but this is the credible continuation of the existing New Plan for Immigration, with clear next steps to progress the meaningful change underway to control our borders and end the small boat crossings.”
Sir Robert Buckland, the Welsh Secretary and a Sunak supporter, said the former chancellor’s proposals were “humane”.
One Whitehall source said: “This is fairy-tale politics from a former chancellor who refused to give the Home Office the resources they needed when they asked for it.
“These ideas might make good headlines but they are at best without any substance or detail and at worse illegal and won’t make any difference to border control.”
Questioned on his immigration policies by Sky News yesterday, Mr Sunak was unable to give clear assurances that his plans to tackle illegal migration would be legal.
Asked about the cruise ship plan, he said that the Scottish Government had considered the idea.