Britain’s top immigration minister Robert Jenrick has slammed left-wing Lords intent on frustrating the Government’s landmark illegal immigration bill, attempting to tackle Britain’s migrant crisis.
Speaking to the Today Programme this morning, Mr Jenrick rejected the suggestion of any more concessions to the Lords, adding it is “not our intention”.
Suella Braverman’s deputy at the Home Office said those left-wing Lords continually carping about the Bill, but who offer no solutions themselves,
“This is not a serious or grown-up way to conduct a debate, where you say ‘well we have concerns about Rwanda, we don’t like the compliant environment, we don’t like this, we don’t want that’, but not to come up with an alternative.”
He praised former Tory Chancellor Ken Clarke, often seen as a darling by the left for his pro-EU views, who backed the Rwanda scheme this week saying it “should be given a chance” to cut Channel crossings.
Mr Jenrick said it was the “key” moment from the Lords debates.
“He essentially said that having listened to the debate for a long time he couldn’t discern any credible alternative from the critics of the Bill, and it’s incumbent on those that choose to criticise our plans to provide an alternative.”
MPs are currently in the process of rejecting changes made by the Lords to the Bill, but the legislation will then return to the Lords where it will likely embark on a process of Parliamentary ‘ping pong’, with the Bill going back and forth between the two chambers as neither side gives into changes.
There is now only a thin window of time to get the Bill through before Parliament breaks for recess next Thursday.
Mr Jenrick said the Illegal Migrants Bill is the “most comprehensive plan to tackle illegal migration of any European country”.
Passing the Bill, and making a dent in the numbers coming over the Channel, is key to Mr Sunak’s chances at the next election.
He made ‘stopping the boats’ one of his five main pledges when entering No. 10 last year, but hundreds continue crossing.
Last week it emerged migrant crossings had hit a record-high in June, with 3,824 crossing compared to 2022’s then-record of 3,140.
The blow came just weeks after Rishi Sunak claimed the number crossing was falling.
