Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested the UK government move migrants who have come to the UK illegally to facilities near the Irish border, saying the UK didn’t owe Ireland or the EU anything as they had failed to negotiate an agreement.
The former Business Secretary said since the French had shown they were happy with the status quo, the UK was under no obligation to take returned migrants.
Speaking on GB News, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “The Rwanda plan is working. Since the Royal Assent of the Safety of Rwanda bill last week, Ireland has seen an increase in migrants crossing its border escaping from the risk of deportation to Rwanda.
“Last week, Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee told a parliamentary committee that 80% of recent arrivals in Ireland have come from the United Kingdom.
“Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary has explicitly said the influx has been caused by fears of deportations to Rwanda.
“So despite the fact that for years we've been told by the Labour Party that the Rwanda plan won't work and won’t serve as a viable deterrent, although they couldn't provide any alternative deterrent themselves, in one week, just one week since the bill received Royal Assent, before flights have even been scheduled, the deterrent is taking effect.
“But the Irish government is proposing emergency legislation to deport migrants back to the UK. This is to overcome the problem that the Irish courts recently found that the UK is not a safe country because of the threat of Rwanda deportation.
“And this is glorious, because all the international lawyers have said it's quite wrong for the British government to declare Rwanda safe. What will they say about the Irish government declaring the UK safe and overturning its courts?
“The international lawyers, the peers, will be having paroxysms of complicated sophistical discussion to try and work this out.
“But fortunately, even if the courts and the Irish Parliament were to permit this, the British government is standing firm and rightly so.
“Today, Downing Street confirmed that we will not accept any deportations from Ireland back into the UK.
“Let me be clear, I don't think we owe anything to Ireland or the EU in terms of refugee returns. We've been trying to negotiate such an agreement with France for ages, but all we've had in return is French ships escorting small boats into British waters. The French have shown they're happy to uphold the status quo.
“What this news really presents is a golden opportunity; an opportunity to send all of the illegal migrants in the UK to facilities near the Irish border. If it just so happens that they then end up crossing the border, which according to the Belfast agreement, must remain open and indeed, our departure from the European Union agreement, so be it.
“According to the Irish courts, they're happy to take in all the poor refugees fleeing persecution. There is an army barracks that's apparently facing redevelopment and we're using other military facilities in the rest of the UK.
“Northern Ireland is a fundamental part of the UK; it can do its bit and it can house some migrants which can then be sent over to the Republic where they'll be wonderfully safe as opposed to this dangerous land that they tried to get into in the first place.
“This would have many advantages. It would keep the cost of Rwanda down as fewer people would need to be sent there and the EU would be so happy because it would fulfil its beloved human rights obligations.
“And the Irish government could feel a sense of superiority to His Majesty's government.
“There will be no migrants coming to the UK from Ireland and there's no need to stop them going there. Perhaps a maverick viewer may want to set up a charity to help pay the transport costs of illegal migrants who have got in over the channel, to send them to Southern Ireland.
“I believe it is a very pleasant place to be at this time of year.”
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