Government slaps down Suella Braverman after Home Secretary called for UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights as she urged illegal migrant crackdown at Tory conference
- Suella Braverman wants UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights
- She issued the call at the Tory conference as she pushed to combat immigration
- A Government source said her view is ‘contrary’ to official policy
- The source said she should’ve made her views known in an ‘appropriate setting’
The Government hit out at Home Secretary Suella Braverman after she broke with its policy by calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as she urged a crackdown on illegal migration.
She said it was her personal view and acknowledged Government policy was to work within the boundaries of the convention, which is interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.
But it is another sign of indiscipline within Liz Truss’ administration at the Tory conference in Birmingham.
A Government source said Ms Braverman’s views are ‘contrary to Government policy and if she wishes to make those views known within Government she should do so in a more appropriate setting.’
Her remarks came after Ms Braverman revealed on Tuesday it would be her ‘dream’ to send a flight of Channel migrants to Rwanda outlined her ‘ultimate goal’ of cutting immigration into the UK to tens of thousands.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman (right) broke with Government policy to call for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights as she urged a crackdown on illegal migration. She is pictured with Michael Gove (left) and Paul Goodman (second left)
Ms Braverman campaigned on the immigration issue when she stood for the Tory leadership in the contest won by Ms Truss.
She told a Spectator event at the Tory conference in Birmingham: ‘I was pretty blunt about this issue in my leadership campaign.
‘My position personally is that ultimately we do need to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
‘That is not government policy, I should say, government policy is to do everything we can within the convention, within the boundaries of the convention.
‘But if that doesn’t work, then we will have to consider all options.’
She added: ‘I don’t think we need to be subject to an institution born out of the post-war era which is a bit analogue in the way that it operates, which has centralised power, which is distant and which is politicised, which is pursuing an agenda which is at odds with our politics and our values.
‘I don’t think that’s the direction that the world is going in, that’s not the direction that people called for with Brexit.’
The senior Cabinet minister outlined her homes that the £120million scheme would overcome legal hurdles this year as she spoke at Conservative Party Conference.
An intervention by the European court contributed to the grounding of the first flight under the Government’s policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
In her main conference speech, Ms Braverman announced plans for a new blanket ban on Channel migrants and anyone else entering the UK illegally from claiming asylum.
The new laws – which go further than the Nationality and Borders Act which came into force in June – will impose a blanket ban on anyone deemed entering the UK illegally from seeking refuge.
The announcement marks the latest attempt by the Government to curb the growing numbers of Channel crossings after its flagship policy to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda stalled amid the legal challenges.
Ms Braverman told the conference in Birmingham the law ‘simply isn’t working’ and legislation was being ‘abused’ by people smugglers, people making ‘multiple, meritless and last-minute claims’ and – taking aim at lawyers – by ‘specialist small boat-chasing law firms’, adding: ‘This cannot continue.’
‘I will look to bring forward legislation to make it clear that the only route to the United Kingdom is through a safe and legal route … So if you deliberately enter the United Kingdom illegally from a safe country, you should be swiftly returned to your home country or relocated to Rwanda. That is where your asylum claim will be considered.’
Campaigners condemned the plan as further ‘attacks’ on ‘genuine refugees’ and branded them a ‘blatant breach’ of Britain’s international obligations under the Refugee Convention.
Clare Mosley, founder of refugee charity Care4Calais, said the proposal was ‘barbaric and unnecessary’ while claiming the Government’s rhetoric on Channel crossings was ‘simply false’.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, branded the proposals ‘deeply worrying and out of step with the majority of the public who support giving refugees protection’.
Zoe Abrams, executive director at the British Red Cross, said: ‘We need more safe routes for people at risk. The vast majority of people that make it to our shores go on to have their asylum claim approved.’
Setting out her intention to ensure UK immigration policy is not ‘derailed’ by modern slavery laws, the Human Rights Act or the European court, Ms Braverman also said she would ‘work closely with the French to get more out of our partnership’.
Ms Braverman insisted it was not ‘racist’ to ‘want to control our borders’, or ‘bigoted to say that we have too many asylum seekers who are abusing the system’.
‘It’s not xenophobic to say that mass and rapid migration places pressure on housing, public services and community relations. I reject the Left’s argument that it is hypocritical for someone from an ethnic minority to tell these truths,’ she added.
Channel crossings continued on Tuesday after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) recorded 541 arrivals in nine boats on Monday. In September, 7,961 made the crossing to the UK.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Braverman told a conference fringe event she would ‘love to be here claiming victory, I would love to be having a front page of the Telegraph with a plane taking off to Rwanda, that’s my dream, that’s my obsession’.
It came as her predecessor as home secretary, Priti Patel, defended the Rwanda deportations. She told a conference fringe event it was an ‘oven-ready plan’ to be finished and the ‘courts of Europe have to realise the mistake they made’.
More than 33,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, official government figures revealed yesterday.
Ms Braverman’s comments came as her predecessor as home secretary, Priti Patel, defended the Rwanda deportations. She told a conference fringe event it was an ‘oven-ready plan’ to be finished and the ‘courts of Europe have to realise the mistake they made’.
She and former prime minister Boris Johnson unveiled the five-year deal with Rwanda earlier this year.
But no flights have even left the ground yet after a series of legal challenges in the European and UK courts. Liz Truss has vowed to continue with the policy and could even expand it to other countries.
Ms Patel used a speech at a conference fringe event to hail her Rwanda migration deal as she noted how ‘every leadership candidate’ backed her plan in the Tory contest this summer.
‘I overcame the immediate challenges in our courts – many people said that would be impossible but I made it possible,’ she said.
‘And, of course, it was great achievement but I accept it was simply not enough.
‘Because it was the European court, to their discredit, that stood in the way of the policy and stood once again in the way of the British people.
‘But the hard work is done and – as Boris would say – we have an oven-ready plan to finish.
‘With widespread support for this policy across the country, the courts of Europe have to realise the mistake they made in standing in its way.
‘And the Government must be robust in doing everything it takes to get this policy fully implemented and those flights to Rwanda take off.’
Asked after her speech whether the Rwanda policy would prove value for money, Ms Patel said: ‘Absolutely it will be cost-effective because of the deterrence factor.’
She noted how housing asylum seekers and refugees in Britain cost £5million a day.
‘The foundations are in place and it’s absolutely imperative – there’s a court case going on right now – the Government carries on with the fantastic legal case they’ve got, and they’ve got a great case, that they carry on with the implementation of that policy and they get that flight to Rwanda.’
More than 33,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, official government figures revealed yesterday.
Data released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said 33,001 people have been intercepted making the dangerous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits in 2022.
A total of 7,961 of those migrants arrived in September alone and this figure is expected to increase as a further 400 people crossed the Channel on Monday.
At least two Border Force vessels could be seen escorting dozens of migrants into Dover, Kent in the early hours of this morning – after battling cold and windy conditions at sea.
The migrants, which included young children, wore blankets around their shoulders as they were led along the gangway to the dockside at a former jetfoil terminal, out of sight from the public.
Source: Read Full Article
