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The government’s home secretary stated that the flagship plan for Rwanda asylum is not the ultimate solution for addressing illegal migration.
The pressure is still on for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to revive the policy following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. Some Conservative MPs are also upset about the latest data on legal net migration, which revealed a record number of arrivals last year.
James Cleverly, who took over as home secretary after Suella Braverman was fired in Mr Sunak’s reshuffle, has expressed his frustration with the attention given to the Rwanda policy.
He expressed his frustration that we have allowed the creation of a narrative that this was the ultimate solution.
“The objective is to prevent the arrival of boats. This is the commitment made to the British citizens. Always keep the goal in mind.”
“There are various approaches available. Avoid fixating on the methods themselves, and instead concentrate on the overall mission.”
The high-ranking government official expressed his concerns about the possibility of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This view is shared by conservative members who view the ECHR as a significant obstacle in stopping Channel crossings.
The goal is to prevent the arrival of boats. This is the commitment made to the British citizens. Always remember the objective.
The promise made by Mr. Sunak is that he will not allow any foreign court to prevent flights from going to Rwanda. To ensure that this plan is legally secure, he has proposed a new treaty and emergency legislation.
The UK Supreme Court, not a foreign court, delivered the most recent setback to the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers who enter the UK on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
However, the Conservative Party is determined to guarantee that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Strasbourg court, which makes decisions regarding it, will not hinder the implementation of the policy that was initially announced in 2020.
The new home secretary’s position seems to contrast with that of their predecessor, who openly expressed their frustrations with the ECHR.
Mr Cleverly stated that it has always been his belief that modernization, updating and reform are necessary.
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I am concerned that some individuals tend to immediately latch onto their desired solution and hold onto it stubbornly, insisting that it must be the only correct answer.
I am hesitant to take any actions that could jeopardize the important partnership we have with nations who strongly value the European Convention on Human Rights for valid reasons.
“Nothing comes without a cost. It is important to weigh both the benefits and drawbacks.”
Boris Johnson has joined other members of the Conservative party in urging Mr. Sunak to take action on immigration.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released revised data on Thursday, reporting that the UK experienced a record high net migration of 745,000 in the year leading up to December 2022.
The data shows that migration levels have tripled since Brexit, despite the Conservative Party’s 2019 promise to decrease overall numbers.
Several Conservative Members of Parliament have urged Mr. Sunak to fulfill that promise.
Previous leader Mr Johnson joined others in advocating for changes to the immigration process, supporting Ms Braverman’s suggestion to raise the minimum salary requirement for UK visas.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson wrote about the concerns surrounding EU workers leaving Britain after Brexit and the potential impact on businesses facing labor shortages. He mentioned that the Migration Advisory Committee has set the minimum salary at £26,000, which is only slightly higher than the living wage.
He expressed that the number was “significantly too small”.
The minimum income for the majority of migrant workers entering the UK should be raised to at least £40,000, or even higher. This is in the best interest of both migrant workers and the British workforce, according to the speaker.
“We possess the ability to resolve this issue and modify our immigration regulations – this is precisely why the citizens of Britain voted to regain control of these powers in 2016. We are capable of accomplishing it at this moment.”
Mr Johnson, who led the party to victory with the 2019 manifesto, only left office last year. The election-winning campaign saw the Tories pledge that “overall numbers will come down” and “we will ensure that the British people are always in control”.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is understood to have worked up a plan designed to appease calls from right-wing Tories for the government to take action.
He is advocating for a prohibition on international social care workers bringing their dependents and a limit on the overall quantity of NHS and social care visas.
His proposal includes eliminating the list of occupations experiencing a shortage, which permits non-domestic employees to receive 20% less than the standard pay for positions lacking adequate skilled personnel.
The ONS released additional data this week showing that net migration for the period of January to June 2023 was 672,000.
Based on the data, approximately 1.279 million individuals have immigrated to the UK in the last two years, exceeding the number of emigrants.
Source: independent.co.uk
