Politics

Majority of Brits support sending asylum seekers to Rwanda – poll

More Brits support the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda than oppose it, new polling has shown.

Home secretary Suella Braverman has been urged to “get a grip” of the migrant crisis following reports that a temporary holding centre at Manston in Kent is dangerously overcrowded.

She has denied claims that she ignored legal advice and rejected calls by officials to procure more hotel accommodation for migrants amid mounting concern about the situation.

Addressing parliament, Braverman said England faces an “invasion” of migrants on the south coast in a statement that has been strongly criticised.

Elsewhere, political figures such as Nigel Farage have been invited onto the BBC to discuss the matter after one camp was targetted by a terrorist.

The hard-right rhetoric appears to be having an impact on public perception, with recent YouGov polling showing that more Brits now support sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Broken down by political allegiance, a shocking 73 per cent of Conservatives support the moves, compared to 21 per cent for Labour and 17 per cent for Lib Dems.

Taking to Twitter, former BBC employee Emily Maitlis pointed out that the reason immigration numbers have grown bigger is not “ marauding criminal gangs” but a “breakdown in relations with France and others”.

Regrettably, that seems to be a point that is getting missed by the media.

Related: Bombshell new figures highlight collapse of exports to EU ‘big four’

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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