Yahoo News Sajid Javid accused of acting like Donald Trump by 'whipping up' Channel migrant crisis
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has been accused of acting like Donald Trump over his response to the current migrant ‘crisis’ in the English Channel.
Labour’s David Lammy took to social media accused Javid and the Conservatives of whipping up a ‘manufactured emergency’ before any final vote on Brexit.
‘Make no mistake, this is not in response to genuine concern for human life,’ wrote Lammy.
‘This is @sajidjavid imitating Donald Trump’s “migrant caravan” manufactured emergency to whip up fear before the Brexit vote. Desperate and cynical.’
Lammy was talking about the situation in the English Channel from France where more than than 230 people have attempted the crossing in small boats since November.
In the last few days almost 100 people have been undertaken the journey, including a group of six Iranian men were found on a beach in Kent.
On Monday, a group of refugees were found on a Kent beach after apparently crossing the Channel in an inflatable boat.
They were spotted in Greatstone.
Javid has declared the crossings a major incident and come back early from a holiday in South Africa to oversee the government’s response.
He is set to discuss the situation at a special meeting with other government officials as well as the Border Force.
Javid is also expected to launch a joint action plan with his French counterpart, Christophe Castaner, including more patrols.
He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: ”The reasons behind the increased crossings are complicated and in many cases outside of our control.
‘Unfortunately, this means that there are no easy answers. So our response is focused both here in the UK and abroad.’
These factors included instability in the Middle East, and organised people smuggling gangs, added the Home Secretary.
Lammy’s attack was not the first by Labour to claim that the government were playing politics with the crisis.
Shadow home secretary Dianne Abbott said there was ‘no question that with Brexit, and also with the approach of the meaningful vote in January, people are being whipped up about migration issues, because the government thinks this is the best way of frightening people to vote for their deal’.
She added: ‘It’s the Farage technique: “hordes” of people trying to enter the country. You frighten people about that.’
