Former Home Secretary Ken Clarke has urged people to “give the Rwanda scheme a chance to work”.
He warned Britain must act to tackle illegal migration amid a rise in small boat crossings in recent days.
Mr Clarke said while he has advocated the benefits that migrants bring to Britain, “doing nothing about illegal immigration is not an option”.
He said: “Importantly, in all the debate about the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill (IMB), no one has advanced an alternative.
“I have listened keenly for an idea of how else we might deal with the mounting problem of irregular migration, but answer has come there none.”
Mr Clarke backed the “extraordinary” small boats law last month in the House of Lords and has reconfirmed his position as the Bill returned for its third reading yesterday (MON).
The flagship legislation passed through the House of Commons but has met fierce opposition in the Lords.
It aims to ensure those who arrive in the UK without permission will be detained and promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.
Mr Clarke said he is not making his comments out of “slavish loyalty” and he has not always been an admirer of the Government.
But he lauded the Government’s approach to welcoming in Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.
He said: “We are not becoming a walled-in, closed country. That is a good British contribution to a tremendous problem for the whole of the Western World.
“Everyone knows that (illegal migration) is a huge problem, and that, if we cannot find a solution, people will die in the Channel in considerable numbers by taking risks as they come here.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has fought to get her central policy of forcibly removing unauthorised arrivals to Rwanda off the ground after it was blocked by appeal judges.
The Government has lodged a bid to take its legal battle to the Supreme Court.
