'Liberal loveys' should back Boris Johnson's Rwanda strategy, caller insists
14 April 2022, 16:01
The UK's new plan to send asylum seekers 4,000 miles away to Rwanda will act as a deterrent against 'economic migrants', this caller says.
Shelagh Fogarty was seething throughout the afternoon at the government's plan to export asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing in a £120 million deal.
Ben in Chicester accused the government of “finding solutions to a problem that didn’t exist”, arguing that “this isn’t going to stop the traffickers, it’s going to traffic them further.”
Read more: Boris deploys the Navy to stop Channel migrants as fury erupts over Rwanda plans
Luke in Morden was brought into the conversation to offer the other side of the argument.
“You two are just really liberal loveys in this and not really thinking with a clear head,” he told Shelagh and Ben.
He went on, suggesting that that “if these economic migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are making their way through God knows how many safe countries” before arriving in the UK, the new system will disincentivise those travelling for reasons unrelated to being a refugee.
Read more: Rwanda migrant deal turns Brits into people traffickers, caller cries
Boris Johnson defends immigration plan in speech
Luke then said that the pressure will be taken off British migration services as a result, but Shelagh pointed out that the current plan is only to send up to 500 asylum seekers to the central African nation.
“Well at this point in time…this isn’t going to be an overnight process,” Luke countered, arguing that this system is “going to differ between people coming here through legal and safe routes and people coming here through illegal, unsafe routes.”
Read more: 'You don't want them here!': Sadiq Khan's clash with caller who backs Rwanda plans
Ben asked what is the legal route for asylum seekers currently, to which Luke admitted he isn't a lawyer.
He said asylum seekers start by “applying to the embassy in the country you’re in,” when Shelagh corrected him, stating you must claim asylum on the soil of the nation you would like asylum in, Luke said: “I didn’t know the whole process.”
Government Minister defends plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda
“You’ve fallen on hard times, things aren’t going your way, that doesn’t mean you’re an asylum seeker”, Luke went on, reiterating that “these are very early plans.”
Read more: Sadiq Khan attacks PM's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing
Shelagh ended by assuming Luke's support for Boris Johnson, quipping “you’re quite comfortable about a Prime Minister who lies”.
“I don’t believe there’s anyone better to do the job better at the moment.”
“I think you could do It better”, Shelagh concluded.
