Doing the minimum possible on legal migration would have the unwelcome effect for the Prime Minister of prolonging and intensifying debate about it.
Well-founded concerns about the suitability of post-war international agreements to modern global conditions are not strengthened by being lumped together with attacks on multiculturalism.
“As case law has developed, what we have seen in practice, is a interpretive shift away from ‘persecution’, in favour of something more akin to a definition of ‘discrimination’.”
If Sunak doesn’t commit the Conservatives to leaving, and then somehow wins the next election, the next Leader of the Opposition will take up the cause.
Why should a previous government’s commitment to the international community trump (in practice if not in legal theory) a later government’s commitments to the British people?
Immigration is currently the third most important issue for all voters and the second most important for the people who voted Tory in 2019 – the people Rishi Sunak must win back if he is to have any chance of retaining power.
Challenged about an incident in 2018, Braverman says “we are looking at 2023 and beyond. This is a country which takes over 100,000 refugees and resettles them. They have nothing but gratitude.”
A proper refugee visa pathway would ensure Britain remained accessible to genuine refugees, ease pressure on the Home Office and the Treasury – and bolster the legitimacy of deterrence too.
As I write, it seems that Downing Street, having been divided about how roughly to rub up new legislation against our international obligations, has gone along with Suella Braverman.
Nearly two-thirds of Britons favour of greater assistance for refugees, such as the Government increasing employment and English language support.
Braintree District Council has worked with a local community centre to set up a monthly meet-up event as a way of helping displaced Ukrainian families.
“We will have the ability in the vast majority of cases to send [illegal migrants] to an alternative safe country”, he pledges.
The time has come for us to banish the scandalous small boat crossings to history, break the back of the people smuggling gangs, and prioritise the world’s neediest.
The High Court’s judgement earlier this week marks a major step forward in our plans and we are focused on moving ahead with the policy as soon as possible.
The Refugee Council, my organisation, will continue to oppose this legislation both because we think it’s a stain on this country’s record of supporting those in need, and because it will do nothing to reduce the number of boats.