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PM: Migrant lawyers 'abetting criminals'

Document Cited authorities 1 Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date15 June 2022
The Prime Minister insisted the Government would not be deterred from its policy, despite criticism from the Church of England and reportedly also from the Prince of Wales

Mr Johnson acknowledged there had been criticism of the plan from "some slightly unexpected quarters" but highlighted the legal profession as the main source of opposition to the Rwanda policy, which will see asylum seekers sent on a one-way trip to the African nation.

As Mr Johnson stepped up his attack on the legal profession, Supreme Court president Lord Reed pointedly referred to lawyers "performing their proper function" representing their clients against the Government as he dealt with one of the cases related to the Rwanda policy.

At a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr Johnson said: "They are, I'm afraid, undermining everything that we're trying to do to support safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK and to oppose the illegal and dangerous routes." He said what the "criminal gangs are doing and what ... those who effectively are abetting the work of the criminal gangs are doing, is undermining people's confidence in the safe and legal system, undermining people's general acceptance of immigration".

The Prime Minister was later asked, on a visit to Staffordshire, whether the UK would have to leave the European Convention on Human Rights to avoid the kind of legal battle he faces.

He said lawyers were "very good at picking up ways of trying to stop the Government from upholding what we think is a sensible law", adding: "Will it...

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