A Tory MP has warned Channel crossing migrants will face a “lottery” between a hotel in Kent or a plane to Rwanda. Sir Tim Loughton, who briefly served as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, made the claim during an appearance on BBC’s Newsnight program yesterday.
The Brexit-backing East Worthing & Shoreham MP said: “If we can actually see it work it will be a deterrent.
“It will be a lottery as to whether you end up in a hotel in Kent or on a plane to Rwanda.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed it would be her “dream” to see a flight carrying Channel crossing migrants jet off to Rwanda.
However, the government’s plan to deter those crossing the Channel by sending some to East Africa is not expected to take off until after Christmas due to the policy being fought through the courts.
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Addressing concerns about Albanian migrants making up a large number of those making the perilous 21-mile journey, Sir Tim added: “The real problem we’ve got at the moment is this surge of 12,000 Albanians this year.
“Albania is not at war, Albania does not have a big human rights problem.
“Two years ago, there were 50 people coming across the Channel from Albania, nothing has changed in those two years.”
The Conservative MP, who first entered the Commons in 1997 and returned in 2019 with a majority of 7,474, also suggested the UK government could separate Albanians from others crossing the Channel.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also seeking to sign a new deal with Emmanuel Macron which will include fresh targets on stopping boats from reaching the UK.
The deal will include a minimum number of French officers who are patrolling the country’s northern beaches at any given time, the Times has revealed.
The Home Office will also introduce new internal targets to process 80 percent of asylum claims within six months.
The UK paid France £54 million last year in a bid to reduce the number of Channel crossings.
