Plan to send migrants to Rwanda to be stepped up after wave of Albanians coming to UK, MPs say

‘Bring an end to this farce’: MPs demand that plan to send migrants to Rwanda be restarted as soon as possible after wave of Albanians crossing the Channel in dinghies

  • Tory MPs urged ministers to redouble efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda
  • It comes after a wave in Albanians making small boats across the Channel
  • The escalation caused 1,075 Albanians to arrive in the UK in six weeks aboard dinghies
  • They made up 37.5 percent of all migrants smuggled into the UK by gangs on time

Through David Barrett Home Affairs Editor for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

MPs tonight called on ministers to redouble their efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda after a wave of Albanians using small boats to enter Britain.

Leaked figures have revealed migrants from the Balkan country – a NATO member seeking to join the EU – now makes up four in ten arrivals from the north of France.

As a result of the escalation, 1,075 Albanians arrived in the UK in the six weeks to 12 July on board dinghies and small boats.

They made up 37.5 percent of all migrants smuggled into the UK by gangs in small boats during the period – eclipsing all other nationalities, including Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis and Syrians.

Tory backbenchers called on the next prime minister to act urgently. Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, said: ‘It is clear that many Albanians who come to the UK in small boats are not fleeing war or persecution – they are economic migrants. This is blatant crime and it underlines the urgency to move forward with Rwanda and similar plans.”

Leaked figures show that 1,075 Albanians arrived in the UK in the six weeks to 12 July aboard dinghies and small boats. They made up 37.5 percent of all trafficked migrants in the period

Leaked figures show that 1,075 Albanians arrived in the UK in the six weeks to 12 July aboard dinghies and small boats. They made up 37.5 percent of all trafficked migrants in the period

The Rwanda plan was championed by Interior Minister Priti Patel

The Rwanda plan was championed by Interior Minister Priti Patel

Tom Hunt, the Tory MP for Ipswich, said the ‘really eye-opening’ numbers ‘underline why it is so important for the government to implement the Rwanda plan’, adding: ‘We need to turn this farce into a bring to an end. Legislation to make the Rwanda plan a reality should be at the top of the list when Parliament returns after the summer recess.”

A source in Liz Truss’ leadership campaign said: “Liz has a plan to expand border power, make sure the European Convention on Human Rights works for Britain and reform the modern slavery laws that are being abused.” . The need for deterrence is essential, so we will make sure the migration deal with Rwanda works, and try to make other deals.”

A spokesman for Rishi Sunak’s campaign said stopping crossings would be a top priority for him, adding: “It is completely unacceptable for migrants from peaceful countries, such as Albania, to try to enter the UK illegally.”

Police officers near the Boeing 767 plane at MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, which failed to take off to Rwanda on June 14

Police officers near the Boeing 767 plane at MoD Boscombe Down, near Salisbury, which failed to take off to Rwanda on June 14

Welby denounces ‘unethical’ treatment

The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglican bishops to speak out against the ‘unethical treatment’ of migrants and climate change.

In his last highly political intervention, Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to “take risks” and warned that if they do nothing, they would become “one of the oppressors.”

The former oil director described climate change as an “undeclared war” and warned it could create 1.2 billion refugees with consequences “more tragic than ever in human history.”

“To be silent about the unethical treatment of migrants or about war or oppression, about the violation of human rights, about persecution, is one of the oppressors,” he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops. “Not so much these days, I think both the cabinet and myself,” he added.

It came after the archbishop used his Easter sermon this year to denounce Interior Minister Priti Patel’s Rwanda asylum agreement, suggesting that “serious ethical questions” about the plan “would not stand the judgment of God.” ‘.

The number of Albanians who arrived by small boat in the six-week period, according to the latest official data, places the country much lower in the ranking of arrivals.

Only 271 small boats reached Britain in the first quarter of this year and 757 in all of 2021. However, a total of nearly 5,000 asylum applications had been lodged by Albanians in the year to March, suggesting that more and more people will switch to small boats from other methods of entering the UK, such as hiding in lorries.

The Interior Ministry did not offer an explanation last night for the increase in the number of Albanian asylum seekers.

Richard Tice, from Reform UK, who got his hands on the leaked report, said: ‘If these people aren’t really running for their lives, then it’s not up to the British taxpayer to support them.’

Clare Moseley, of the refugee organization Care4Calais, wondered if the Albanian wave could be an ‘anomaly’. “The evidence clearly shows that in recent years the majority of people crossing the Channel were genuine refugees,” she said. “If there has been a change, it seems that the success of small boat crossings influences the behavior of smugglers.”

A government spokesman said: ‘The increase in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. The Nationality and Borders Act makes it a criminal offense to knowingly enter the UK illegally and we have introduced life sentences for those who allow illegal entry into the country.”