Boris Johnson seeks to put fine behind him with illegal immigration plan
April 14, 2022, 7:14 am

Boris Johnson seeks to put fine behind him with illegal immigration plan

Boris Johnson- UK PM

The US News reported, citing Reuters, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Thursday (Apr 14) try to switch attention to the issue of illegal immigration and away from angry calls for his resignation after he was fined for breaking his own COVID-19 lockdown rules.

Johnson was fined on Tuesday (Apr 12) for attending a gathering in his Downing Street office for his birthday in June 2020 when social mixing was all but banned under rules his government had introduced.

Opposition politicians said it was the first time a serving prime minister had been found to have broken the law and demanded Johnson quit. He has rejected those calls, and critics in his own Conservative Party said the current crisis in Ukraine meant it was the wrong time to replace him.

In a speech on Thursday, he will try to move the focus away from his own behaviour to targeting illegal immigration, an issue popular with many in his party and one that has been a hot topic with the public for years, and which helped the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.

British rescuers (front) helping some 20 migrants on a semi-rigid boat trying make their way from France across the English Channel. (File photo: AFP) — British rescuers (front) helping some 20 migrants on a semi-rigid boat trying make their way from France across the English Channel. (File photo AFP)

His office said, last year, more than 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed from Europe to Britain, many in small dinghies, and Johnson will announce plans to tackle the people smuggling gangs and increase British operations in the Channel.

It added that Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel would also announce details of "a world-first migration and economic development partnership" with Rwanda.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak reject calls to resign after being fined by police over lockdown parties

"Before Christmas 27 people drowned, and in the weeks ahead there may be many more losing their lives at sea, and whose bodies may never be recovered," Johnson will say according to his office. "Around 600 came across the Channel yesterday. In just a few weeks this could again reach a thousand a day."

He will add that he accepted the migrants were seeking a better life but their dreams were being exploited by vile people smugglers.

He will say: "So just as Brexit allowed us to take back control of legal immigration by replacing free movement with our points-based system, we are also taking back control of illegal immigration, with a long-term plan for asylum in this country."

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to be fined over COVID-19 lockdown-breaking parties

The government has been struggling to come up with solutions as the number of Channel crossings has increased.

A previous idea for the British navy to turn the boats back was rejected by the military, while it has also looked at housing asylum seekers on disused oil rigs, or in countries such as Moldova, Papua New Guinea and its remote overseas territories in the south Atlantic, according to newspaper reports.

Source: usnews

Joe Biden announces additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine UAE will allow unvaccinated citizens to travel overseas from April 19

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.