Rwanda migrant deal turns Brits into people traffickers, caller cries
14 April 2022, 14:29
This caller breaks down as he tells LBC the government has 'pandered to bigotry and xenophobia' with the decision to send refugees to Rwanda.
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Andrew in Derby phoned in to Shelagh Fogarty in reaction to the government's plan to bring an end to people trafficking in the Channel by sending migrants to Rwanda for processing.
Read more: Boris deploys the Navy to stop Channel migrants as fury erupts over Rwanda plans
Shelagh argued throughout the show that the move will turn Britain into a nation of people traffickers, and the caller confirmed “it will make us into people traffickers.”
“I can’t believe this country has turned into what it has. It’s just another knee-jerk, ill-conceived, ill-thought out plan by this government that panders to bigotry and xenophobia.”
Read more: Sadiq Khan attacks PM's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing
'The people traffickers won't pack up and go away.'
Andrew broke down as he processed the news, hardly believing the government could export people fleeing war, famine or persecution 10,500km away to Rwanda.
“I said to a friend 'I'm not sure I can broadcast on this topic without crying today' but you’ve one it for me”, Shelagh said.
Read more: 'You don't want them here!': Sadiq Khan's clash with caller who says Rwanda plans 'good idea'
“There’s no possible way that this will disincentivise the people they’re supposed to be, you know, disincentivising” the caller claimed, arguing the government's move will just push asylum seekers further into the hands of traffickers.
“The people traffickers don’t give a damn about these people”, he cried, concluding “for God sake, we’re better than this aren’t we?”
