Lord Caine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin
Don’t let me beat about the bush; I hope with all my heart that we tell the Irish to get stuffed when they try to send back the migrants who have poured into their country from the UK as soon as they heard the word Rwanda.
Great word Rwanda. One mention of it and thousands leave our country. I wonder if we could double the number by saying the Congo. And treble it with Botswana.
According to the Irish, 80 per cent of recent arrivals to the Republic, who came across the open borders from Northern Ireland, were migrants who didn’t fancy being parked in Rwanda while their asylum claim was looked at.
For Ireland, immigration has become a major domestic crisis. In recent years there have been protests and arson attacks on planned refugee accommodation. Out it simply, they don’t want them and we don’t want them. And let’s be clear; We are not going to have them back.
Immigration to Ireland rose by 32 per cent in the year ending last April, with asylum seekers accounting for more than 13,000 of over 140,000 arrivals. Welcome to our world, Dublin.
Which is why I have always backed the Rwanda idea because it’s designed to scare away the tens of thousands of migrants who have seen their chums get into our country and want to join them. The word Rwanda puts the fear of God up them.
I am pleased that the early signs coming from Rishi and Co is that there will be no change of policy, no matter how dire the threats are from Dublin. Already I see there are mumblings that the Good Friday agreement will in danger as the Republic will consider closing the border. That is tosh.
Although Europe were quick to announce our Rwanda plan, I note that now the idea of offshore migrant processing is now all the rage across the Continent.
Denmark already has such legislation on its books; German parties have proposed similar schemes. Italy has a deal with Albania.
So I’m afraid that Ireland is simply going to have to suck it up. Geographically they are lucky in the sense they are an island nation but those dinghies which find the 22-mile of Channel quite easy would find getting to Killarney a struggle.
Hard to see how all this going to be resolved. Would the Republic force the migrants on to lorries and dump them back in the North. That wouldn’t do much for their Welcome to Dublin’’ ads.
No, it’s something they are going to have to get used to. So well done Rishi for holding your nerve and getting the Bill through Parliament last week.
Now we would all like to heard from Starmer. What is his grand plan to stop the tide of migrants? I heard a former Labour spokesman on television the other day explaining that we should be pleased that so many people round the world found us an attractive place to live. I presume he was joking. Perhaps he wasn’t.
Perhaps the grand plan is to allow in as many as possible, working on the idea they become British citizens under a fast-track scheme and that, similar to the Muslims in our nation, 70% would vote Labour.
Am I catastrophising? I would hope so, but here’s the problem. Labour will not say what they intend to do about ANYTHING with the sole exception of its class war attack on public schools.
The Rwanda policy is clearly a winner. And that’s without a single plane taking off. What would Labour do instead? Probably set up a camp at the end of your road. Especially if you live in a lovely neighbourhood.
