Rishi Sunak has admitted his pledge to stop small boats crossing the Channel “won't happen overnight” and will likely not be achieved by the next election.
Speaking in an interview with ConservativeHome on Thursday, the Prime Minister said there is no “single, simple solution” to fix the problem.
“I've also said it won't happen overnight,” he said. “I've been very clear about that.
“People should know it's very important to me, it's hugely important to the country that we need to fix the system, as a matter of fairness, more than anything else.
“It's not fair that people are breaking the rules and coming here illegally, when many people don’t. They do follow the rules and emigrate here legally.
“It’s not fair on taxpayers who as we know spend millions of pounds a day housing asylum seekers in hotels and all the pressure that’s putting on local communities.
“It’s also not fair on those who actually do need our help.”
Migrants at immigration processing centre in Manston — in pictures
He said the UK is a “welcoming and compassionate” country but that resources need to be targeted at the people who need them most.
Mr Sunak said he expected a legal battle over the “novel, untested” and “ambitious” Illegal Migration Bill, which is currently going through parliament.
The legislation is aimed at changing the law to make it clear that people arriving in the UK illegally will not be able to remain in the country.
Instead, they will either be sent back to their home country or to a nation like Rwanda, with which the UK has a deal, although so far legal challenges have meant no flights carrying migrants have taken off for Kigali.
He said “there may well be” an interim judgment from the European Court of Human Rights against the policy, as happened with the Rwanda scheme.
“That's always likely to happen in these cases and we will robustly challenge those, as we are doing with the Rwandan cases that are currently working their way through the court system,” he said.
“You have to expect legal challenge on these things, our job is to robustly defend them and that's what we'll do.”
His comments come after it was revealed last week that more than 4,500 people have been detected crossing the English Channel in small boats this year despite a promise to crack down on the problem.
The total number of crossings last year was 45,755.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
Fresh faces in UAE side
Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.
Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.
Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.
Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.
Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
