Home Secretary Suella Braverman has blasted the immigration lawyers exposed for offering to help clients lie their way through Britain’s systems to claim asylum.
Ms Braverman has said as a barrister of seven years, she knows lawyers are entitled and obliged to find “any credible legal angle that gets the best result for their client”.
However, she warned: “They are not allowed to lie. Nor are they allowed to encourage others to lie”.
She described the undercover expose by the Mail as “extremely shocking”.
The Homes Secretary said not only are the revelations “appalling and irresponsible”, but they are also “potential criminal”.
She added it shows why it has been “so hard for the Government to remove people with no right to be here – and why we were right to change the law to curb spurious challenges to removal”.
“We know that the majority of lawyers are professional practitioners, but we also know there are some lawyers who are ideologically opposed to illegal-migration controls.
“They have said so, proudly.”
Ms Braverman’s damning words come after Rishi Sunak blasted Labour for being on the side of lawyers and people smugglers in wanting to keep Britain’s borders wide open.
The Prime Minister said the Mail’s expose demonstrated “what we’re up against”, and blasted Sir Keir for “propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally”.
Today, Suella Braverman goes further, saying Labour have been cheering on the Government’s political opponents.
She points out that Sir Keir previously argued “all immigration law” is permeated by a “racist undercurrent”.
“The Labour Party has tried to block us at every turn.”
“Illegal migration makes us less safe, is unfair on taxpayers, supports organised crime, has led to thousands of people perishing needlessly at sea and disadvantaged the genuinely vulnerable who play by the rules.
“Nobody sane wants foreign rapists, paedophiles or murderers on our streets.”
The Home Secretary accuses Labour of showing “utter contempt for public opinion” and wanting the UK’s borders to be open “to any and everyone”.
“A good, honourable lawyer makes the most of the law. A dodgy lawyer will cheat and lie.”
Mr Sunak’s tweet yesterday caused outrage among Labour politicians, despite the party previously using dirty tactics to accuse Rishi Sunak of allowing paedophiles to walk free from prison.
Emily Thornberry, Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow Attorney General, said Mr Sunak’s tweet showed he is “willing to demean” the office of Prime Minister.
Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson hit back at Ms Thornberry, however, telling the Express that Rishi Sunak “is only saying what the vast majority of decent Brits are thinking”.
“If Emily or any other out-of-touch Labour MP think that we should not call out those supporting illegal immigration then they need to leave the Westminster bubble and visit the real world.”
He suggested that this constituency, Ashfield, “is quite nice this time of year”.
