FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
LONDON – The roundups of illegal immigrants in Britain: many of them, including women – it is not known how many in total so far – there are have already been arrested and sent to detention centres waiting to be deported to Rwandaunder the new law that came into force last week.
At least 800 immigration officials are involved in the operation: but this morning they are in the meantime the first protests broke out. A group of demonstrators, called together by
Rishi Sunak’s government, after a bumpy ride, managed to get the law passed provides for the possible arrest of all those who entered Britain illegally after 1 January 2022: The goal is to send them to Rwanda starting in early summer, although the actual numbers of those who can be deported on those flights are expected to be small. London claims that the prospect of ending up in Africa will act as a deterrent towards those who want to attempt the crossing of the Channel towards the English coasts: since the beginning of this year there have been over seven thousand landings, a record for the first four months of a year.
But a consequence has already occurred, with the result of opening a diplomatic crisis with Ireland: many immigrantsfor fear of ending up in the net of the British authorities, they escaped to Ireland across the Northern Irish border. The Dublin government, alarmed, feared a emergency legislation to send them back in the UK. But London doesn’t want to know: until France will not agree to recover immigrants arriving across the Channel, Sunak said, he will not welcome back those who have fled to Ireland. In response, Dublin fielded 100 policemen at the borderwhile the temperature of relations with London is hotting up by the hour.
In Downing Street they have imprinted a anti-immigrant acceleration also in view of thetoday’s electoral appointment: we are voting to renew a large part of the local authorities, including the Mayor of London. The polls predict a searing defeat for the conservatives to the government and in an attempt to stem it Sunak has played the immigration card, which in recent months has returned to the three main concerns of voters (after economy and healthcare).
But if the predictions are confirmed, a difficult phase will begin for the prime minister: the party is in turmoil and groups of conspirators are ready to take out Sunak to install a new prime minister (perhaps Penny Mordaunt, the “sword goddess” of King Charles’ coronation) to go to general elections with the hope of limiting the predicted Labor landslide.
