EU chiefs fear that Rwanda Bill will work – it’s why they’re lashing out
EU chiefs fear that Rwanda will work
MAKE no mistake, the passing of the Rwanda Bill into law last week has sent shockwaves across Europe.
As Iranian migrant Armin Rezaie complained from his Dunkirk camp: “We are looking for a better life and we thought we could get it in Britain.
“But if they are going to send us to Rwanda, I may stay in France.”
It is no coincidence that Brexit-hating French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish Deputy PM Micheál Martin have both lashed out.
But then if the deterrent effect is kicking in before a single plane has taken off, EU leaders know they face a backlash.
As PM Rishi Sunak makes clear today, his focus is on controlling the UK’s borders, not policing other countries.
He is in no doubt that the Rwanda plan is “already having an impact because people are worried about coming here”.
Ireland’s Mr Martin bizarrely branded the plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda a “kneejerk reaction”.
A ludicrous phrase for a bill which has taken two years of hard political toil to arrive on the statute books, having had to overcome obstacles at every stage put in its way by Left-wing MPs, peers, lawyers and judges.
In that time, a staggering 76,928 migrants have risked the Channel crossing — with dozens tragically perishing in the attempt. And the hard-pressed taxpayer has been left facing a £40billion bill for years to come to pay for those who made it.
Protecting our borders was a core reason why 17.5million Brits backed Brexit. Yet floundering Labour has no plan except to tear up the scheme — even if it is working.
It would represent a massive betrayal of everything Brexit was about.
Labour terror shame
THE massacre of more than 1,100 Israelis by Hamas terrorists on October 7 horrified the world.
So it was truly shocking to learn that supposedly neutral United Nations aid workers had taken part in the atrocity.
Western nations, including the US and the UK, rightly suspended their funding for UNRWA.
It is a disgrace that Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy is promising Labour will reinstate the cash if it wins power.
The UN needs to ensure its ranks are completely purged of Hamas activists.
And Labour should immediately withdraw any plans to resume funding UNRWA.