Angela Rayner Reacts and Drops a Bombshell About Illegal Boat Migrants Coming to the UK
Angela Rayner was questioned on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about the growing number of people crossing the English Channel in overcrowded boats. She was asked whether it was right for one small boat to carry as many passengers as a full EasyJet flight.
Presenter Nick Robinson said many British people still feel sympathy for those risking their lives at sea. However, he added that sympathy is increasingly being mixed with anger because the dangerous crossings continue and the boats are carrying more and more people.
Rayner said many of those getting into the boats are desperate and vulnerable people who believe they have no other choice. She explained that the vessels used for the journey are often unsafe and unsuitable for carrying such large numbers of passengers across one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.
She said the Government’s main aim was to stop people from making the dangerous journey in the first place. According to Rayner, the Home Secretary has reached an agreement with France under which payments are linked to results. This means the French authorities are expected to take stronger action to stop boats from leaving their shores and heading towards Britain.
Rayner claimed there had been a fall in the number of boats crossing the Channel. She also said the Government had greatly increased the number of people being deported after entering or remaining in Britain illegally.
She insisted that the Government was taking tougher action against people who had no legal right to remain in the country. Those found to be living in Britain illegally would be removed if they did not qualify for protection or permission to stay.
Rayner also placed much of the blame on the criminal gangs organising the crossings. She said these gangs were making money by placing desperate people, including women and children, onto overcrowded boats that were not safe enough for the journey.
She warned that people had already lost their lives while trying to cross the Channel. Rayner said the Government must break up the smuggling gangs, stop the boats from leaving France and prevent more people from dying at sea.
