Oliver Dowden vehemently defends Suela Braverman After being accused of making ‘ridiculous’ statements about numbers, the interior minister said: immigration It could come to the UK. This came after Mr Braverman claimed that “billions” of people were eager to come to the UK. He claimed that he was only claiming that the number of immigrants was “increasing very rapidly.”
Sky News host Sophy Ridge called the Home Secretary’s remarks to Dowden “absurd”.
Dowden countered, explaining: economic immigration. ”
“Billions?” Ridge interrupted.
Dowden replied:
“Last year it was 40,000, and more is projected.
“We have to be willing to stop this and there are so many people who may want to enter the UK or any other developed country for economic reasons.”
When a Sky host pressured him about this, he said, “Come on, that’s ridiculous.
“She is absolutely correct in pointing out that these numbers are increasing very rapidly.”
Mr. Ridge countered, saying, “That’s not the point she’s making!”
Pushing on Mr Braverman’s defense, the minister said: The fact of billions is the fact that when you look at the world population of about 8 billion people, those billions of people do not live in economically developed countries like ours.
Braverman wrote in the Daily Mail: “In the face of today’s global immigration crisis, yesterday’s laws are simply not fit for purpose.
“100 million people have been forced from their homes around the world, and billions more are eager to get here if they can.
“They are already here in the tens of thousands. – To your home country or a safe third country: Rwanda.
“That’s exactly what the illegal immigration bill is trying to do. That’s how we stop boats.”
But the UN refugee agency said it was “extremely concerned” about the government’s plans to stop small boat crossings.
The UK representative to UNHCR said the plan violates international law.
UNHCR’s Vicky Tennant said: “We are very concerned. This is effectively closing access to asylum in the UK for irregularly arriving people.
“We believe this is a clear violation of the 1951 Convention, and remember that even those who make very compelling claims have no chance to advocate for these.”
