Commenting on the announcements today (14th April 2022) regarding the New Plan for Immigration, Greg Smith MP said:
"We should be proud of our record as a country in offering refuge to those fleeing war and persecution over the years. Indeed, since 2015 alone the UK has offered a place to over 185,000 men, women and children seeking refuge, more than any other similar resettlement schemes in Europe.
"As the Prime Minister mentioned in his speech today, this includes almost 100,000 British Nationals Overseas threatened by draconian security laws in Hong Kong, 20,000 through our Syrian scheme, 13,000 from Afghanistan and to whom we owe debts of honour, and around 50,000 Ukrainians.
"But there is a huge problem. Our asylum system is broken and that is causing both human misery and huge cost to the British taxpayer.
"Around seven out of ten of those arriving in small boats last year were men under 40, paying people smugglers to queue jump. Be under no illusion, that takes up our capacity to help genuine women and child refugees.
"The illegal crossings, which are seeing hundreds of people abused by the smuggling gangs, must be stopped. That is the only right and fair thing to do – and so I welcome the announcements today that the Royal Navy will now take over operational command in the English Channel to combat the gangs, and our new Migration and Economic Development Partnership will mean that anyone entering the UK illegally – as well as those who have arrived illegally since January 1st – may now be relocated to Rwanda.
"These new steps will ensure the UK can continue to be a welcoming host to those most in need, but tough on those seeking to come here illegally, abuse our generosity and worst of all get in the way of those in genuine need."
You can read more about todays announcements here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-first-partnership-to-tackle-global-migration-crisis
And read the Prime Ministers speech here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-action-to-tackle-illegal-migration-14-april-2022
