The Rwanda plan should be the start of taking back control of our border, it can’t come soon enough, says Dan Wootton

The decision to do a deal with Rwanda for offshore processing of illegal, largely young male migrants, most of whom are taking the perilous path of crossing the Channel, could well save this government.

I have been advocating for this sort of deal to be done for months.

In fact, last November I warned the failure to introduce offshore processing could cost Boris Johnson his job.

So I’m delighted to see he has taken the bold and humane approach, announced today by the PM in Kent and Home Secretary Priti Patel in Rwanda…

Keir Starmer had lots of meaningless soundbites to trot out today, but absolutely no plan as to how he would stop the growing illegal migrant crisis, which saw a year-high 600 try to cross the Channel yesterday…

The reality is that the vast majority of those allowing the despicable people smuggling gangs to thrive arguably fit the profile of economic migrants.

According to official statistics, nine out of ten of the 28,526 migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats last year – ten times the number of just two years earlier – were men, while seven out of ten were single.

“You are going to be met by the Army. They will drive you to the airport and send you straight to Rwanda. That is where you are going to end up in the hope that would be enough to deter migrants. That is why the military comes in, so you don’t have battles on the quayside.”

We have a legal migration system. But with the illegal numbers growing exponentially and forecast to reach six figures a year, we cannot go on this way.

Boris was right today when he said “we cannot sustain a parallel illegal system - our compassion may be infinite, but our capacity to help people is not.”

Those opposing the Rwanda plan will say they are compassionate and all for human rights.

But what the hell is respectful of one’s human rights or compassionate about allowing tens of thousands of poor souls risk their lives across the Channel each year, while encouraging a sick trade in human beings.

It had to end.

The Rwanda plan should be the start of taking back control of our border.

It can’t come soon enough.