{"id":122269,"date":"2023-12-16T21:29:10","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T21:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/?p=122269"},"modified":"2023-12-16T21:29:10","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T21:29:10","slug":"rishi-sunak-warns-refugees-are-being-used-as-a-weapon-to-overwhelm-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/world-news\/rishi-sunak-warns-refugees-are-being-used-as-a-weapon-to-overwhelm-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"Rishi Sunak warns refugees are being used as a weapon to overwhelm Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Malign states are \u2018weaponising\u2019 illegal migration by \u2018deliberately driving people to the shores of Britain\u2019, Rishi Sunak has warned. And in some of his toughest language to date, the Prime Minister warned the UK would be \u201coverwhelmed\u201d without urgent action to tackle the problem.<\/p>\n

Mr Sunak made his remarks during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, during which the pair said their two nations would jointly finance a plan to return migrants in Tunisia to their home countries. Mr Sunak used the gathering to issue a stark warning of the threat posed by illegal migration, as he suggested that changes to global refugee rules might be needed.<\/p>\n

In a speech to the Atreju event organised by Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, Mr Sunak said radical solutions, such as his Rwanda plan, were needed to protect countries’ borders. Saying that “enemies” want to use migration as a “weapon”, he added: “If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the day-long trip to Rome Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni also held talks with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, another ally in their efforts to crack down on illegal migration. Number 10 said that after the talks Mr Sunak and Ms Meloni had agreed to co-fund a project which would see the two countries “promote and assist the voluntary return” of migrants currently stuck in Tunisia.<\/p>\n

Tunisia neighbours Italy just across the Mediterranean and attracts many migrants from several African countries who begin their journey to Europe there.<\/p>\n

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During his speech, Mr Sunak stressed that he was ready to \u201cupdate out laws\u201d and prompt \u201can international conversation to amend the post-war frameworks around asylum\u201d if necessary. He continued: “Because if we don’t fix this problem now, the boats will keep coming and more lives will be lost at sea.”<\/p>\n

Insufficient action would result in surging growing numbers which which in turn would \u201coverwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who need our help most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Sunak referenced unnamed \u201cmalign states\u201d – but it is likely he was in part at least referring to Russia, given Finland has accused Moscow of deliberately sending Middle Eastern migrants into the European Union in order to destabilise the bloc.<\/p>\n

The rhetoric comes as hardliners on the Tory right push Mr Sunak to block interference from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the UN Refugee Convention amid efforts to stop Channel crossings. He had warm praise too for Ms Meloni, as Downing Street confirmed that the UK would sign up for her “Rome Process” alliance of Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa countries aimed at tackling the root causes of migration.<\/p>\n

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