I KNOW Sun readers are fed up with illegal migration. I share your frustration. Stopping the boats is taking too long.
Our plan to relocate illegal arrivals to Rwanda has been delayed by the courts and in the House of Lords.
PAI make no apology for fighting illegal migration, says James Cleverly[/caption]
PAThe loss of five innocent lives in the Channel on Tuesday demonstrates precisely why we must stop the boats[/caption]
But now our Rwanda Bill has passed through Parliament. It means the courts will have to treat Rwanda as a safe country — which it is.
Robust plans are in place to ensure a first flight to Rwanda can be delivered within ten to 12 weeks, with multiple flights set to take off after this.
Our joint UK-Rwanda Treaty will be ratified imminently. Our countries have an excellent relationship.
Rwanda has accommodation ready to go. They know what they are doing — the UN sends migrants there from Libya, helped by EU funding, with many now having set up thriving businesses.
Painful reminder
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has made it clear he will not let a foreign court stop us sending people to Rwanda.
I make no apology for fighting illegal migration.
It makes this country less safe. It is unfair on those who play by the rules. It puts money in the hands of vicious criminal gangs. Above all, it is unfair on the British people.
Some of our least wealthy communities face the biggest burden.
People have arrived in big numbers, hotels have been taken over and public services have been put under huge stress.
Besides, we have every right as a country to decide who comes here.
And never forget how dangerous it is to cross the Channel in a dinghy. Many lives have been lost, including in the tragic incident this week.
People smugglers don’t care. They treat human beings as cargo, rip them off, beat them, rape them and let them drown.
The loss of five innocent lives in the Channel on Tuesday serves as a painful reminder of this.
It demonstrates precisely why we must stop the boats and the evil gangs who put profit over people’s lives.
We are not the only country to face the problem of illegal migration, however. Nations across the globe are also looking for new ways to smash the people- smuggling gangs.
I saw this on a visit to Italy this week. Yesterday, I met with my Italian counterpart, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and we agreed to step up action to tackle illegal migration at source and stem the flow of arrivals from North Africa.
I also travelled to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a migration hotspot that had more than 110,000 illegal migrants arrive last year.
Never forget how dangerous it is to cross the Channel in a dinghy
I saw the complex challenges faced by the agencies that deal with this and the dedication of those working to save lives at sea.
Illegal migration is a global issue and demands international co-operation. Our Rwanda plan is about just that.
I know the delays to our plan have been very frustrating, but UK investment in Rwanda will benefit both our countries.
When the scheme is up and running, it will act as a systematic deterrent. People will be put off coming to the UK illegally.
We haven’t been passive during the delays to the Rwanda plan, though.
We are working closely with the French, using cutting- edge technology and coastal patrols.
Our work with Albania led to a 90 per cent fall in the number of illegal migrants from that country.
Freeing up hotels
We’ve signed returns arrangements with other countries, too.
Likewise, we have ramped up raids on companies using illegal workers and captured rubber dinghies before they could be used for crossings.
Improvements to the way we process asylum seekers are freeing up hotels.
We changed the law so it makes clear that anyone who comes to the UK illegally will not be able to stay.
People smugglers don’t care. They treat human beings as cargo, rip them off, beat them, rape them and let them drown
The bright future promised by the people smugglers is a lie.
This has gone on too long. The Prime Minister and I are determined to get this right. We know how much it matters.
Some people think we should ditch the Rwanda plan. But they have no plan of their own — often because they want the UK to have open borders. They are so wrong.
We will get planes in the air and stop the boats. The British people deserve no less.
AFPThe Prime Minister has made it clear he will not let a foreign court stop us sending people to Rwanda[/caption]