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The Prime Minister has vowed to ‘take back control’ of the UK’s borders amid an ‘overwhelmed’ asylum system.
In a press conference this evening, Rishi Sunak spoke from behind a podium that proclaimed ‘STOP THE BOATS’ on a red background.
He said the current situation on Britain’s shores is neither ‘moral nor sustainable’ and is ‘unfair on people who have opened their homes to genuine refugees.’
Mr Sunak added there was no ‘silver bullet’ to address the ‘complex problem’.
The Prime Minister’s eerily gentle tone quickly caught the attention of those watching the press conference live.
On Twitter, Graeme Strachan wrote: ‘Rishi Sunak sounds like he should be reading a story on the CBeebies bedtime hour.’
Ellwyn Male added: ‘Rishi Sunak casually explaining how he’s planning to break international law in the tone of a health and safety training video.’
Fiona Lynne Morgan tweeted: ‘Story time with #RishiSunak again.’
It’s not the first time one of his speeches has been met with ridicule online.
Rishi Sunak spoke from behind a podium branded with the words ‘Stop the Boats’ (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Mr Sunak was speaking this evening following the announcement of the Illegal Migration Bill, which has already faced backlash from various charities.
The Bill will push ‘the boundaries of international law’, Suella Braverman told the Daily Express earlier today.
The legislation is likely to get a rough ride in the Lords, as the upper chamber considers whether to amend the legislation.
A group of people are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI (Picture: PA)
If the Government does not accept the changes, then a lengthy back and forth could delay the implementation.
In the House of Commons today, Ms Braverman said: ‘The need for reform is obvious and urgent.’
She added: ‘They will not stop coming here until the world knows that if you enter Britain illegally you will be detained and swiftly removed.’
Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive of leading modern slavery charity Hestia, said today: ‘We need to be tougher on the organised criminals who are exploiting vulnerable people, not on the victims.’
Rishi Sunak views a drone used for surveillance of vessels in distress (Picture: Kirsty Wigglesworth-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Visiting a Home Office joint control centre in Dover today, Mr Sunak was shown a boat that was intercepted by Border Force employees on Sunday.
Staff handed him a card that is thought to have been given to migrants by people smugglers with a number on it to contact when they reach the halfway point in their journey across the Channel.
He was then shown a surveillance drone used to relay live video and taken into a van used as a mobile operation vehicle used to monitor movements at sea.
‘Stopping the boats’ has been a key promise of Mr Sunak since he was handed the keys to No 10.
He holds a tough stance on immigration and made the increase in migrant crossings one of his top five priorities when he came into office.
Most recently, he told TalkTV’s Piers Morgan that illegal immigrants ‘will not be able to stay here’.
He said: ‘So, what that new law will say is, if you come here illegally, for an illegal migrant here, then you will not be able to stay here.
‘And, in fact, we will be able to detain you and then we will hear your claim in a matter of days or weeks – not months or years – and we will have the ability (in the vast majority of cases) to send you to an alternative safe country – be that where you come from if it’s safe, like Albania, or, indeed, Rwanda.’
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‘Rishi Sunak casually explaining how he’s planning to break international law in the tone of a health and safety training video.’