Braverman accused of peddling ‘pure fantasy’ about migration ‘hurricane’ in leadership pitch

Suella Braverman has been accused of peddling “pure fantasy” to fuel her political ambitions after she warned of a “hurricane” of migration coming to Britain.

Delivering a speech at the Conservatives’ annual party conference, the Home Secretary claimed that the “wind of change” which brought her parents to the UK in the 20th century was a “mere gust compared to the hurricane that is coming.”

She warned that “the future could bring millions more migrants to these shores, uncontrolled and unmanageable unless the government they elect next year acts decisively to stop that happening”.

Ms Braverman also reiterated her calls for a fall in net migration, claiming that the British people felt it was too high and indicating that support for it was a “luxury belief.”

But the Border Force union, PCS, warned that the Home Secretary needed to “get real” and take a “sensible approach to asylum and immigration”.

“There needs to be a hard-headed assessment of migration requirements to enable our country to function properly now and in the future,” said Head of Bargaining Paul O’Connor.

“We have a chronic staff shortage in the NHS and other vital areas. We have a demographic ageing crisis. Throwing out arbitrary reduction figures to play to the gallery does nothing to address those issues.”

He added: “It’s time for the Home Secretary to do what’s best for the country, not what she thinks is best for her own political ambitions.”

Ms Braverman has long been rumoured to be positioning herself as a potential frontrunner for the Conservative Party leadership.

She dismissed suggestions this week that her hardline immigration speech in the US last Tuesday in which she said multiculturalism had “failed” was an “obvious” pitch for the leadership.

Refugee charity Care4Calais also warned that the Home Secretary’s language was “not based in reality”.

CEO Steve Smith said: “Last year, only 7 per cent of Europe’s asylum seekers came to the UK. This idea that the UK has an asylum problem is pure fantasy. We have a proud history of offering people sanctuary, we have done so for Ukrainians so why do we have this hateful approach towards refugees from all other countries?”

Safe Passage, a charity advocating for safe routes to seek asylum, accused the Government of “parading unworkable, cruel and punishing measures to deter refugees from seeking safety in the UK” and warned that this pushed asylum seekers – including children – towards smuggling gangs.

Katie Morrison, chief executive of the charity, also cast doubt on claims that the public was in favour of Ms Braverman’s hardline asylum plans, saying: “We know that the British public want to show compassion to those fleeing war and persecution. We recommend this starts by urgently opening an emergency protection scheme for refugees who are already in Europe and need to reunite with family or rebuild their lives in the UK, having fled conflict and crises in places like Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and Iran.”

Research from the British Red Cross earlier this year found that 74 per cent of the UK public had sympathy with asylum seekers, and 71 per cent said that the war in Ukraine highlighted the need for safe asylum routes to the UK. Three quarters of the public said that if they were forced to flee from conflict, they would take any route they could to find safety. 4,000 people were surveyed.

The Refugee Council also hit back at the Home Secretary’s approach to small boat arrivals, saying their research showed nearly three quarters of those who have come across the Channel so far this year would be recognised as refugees in need of protection if their claims were processed.

“Once the Illegal Migration Act is in force, the majority of people coming to the UK in a small boat will not be returned to their country or taken to a safe third country. Closing down the asylum [system] will lead to tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo in the UK, unable to be removed or to restart their life, and needing to be housed in hotels indefinitely,” he said.

“Instead of the current inhumanity – exemplified by the huge number of newly recognised refugees who are being thrown out of hotels with virtually no notice and finding themselves on the streets – the government should uphold the right to asylum and have an approach that is not only about control but also compassion and competence.”