Migration plans are compassionate, says Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman has insisted her migration program is compassionate, aft Britain's rights watchdog said it enactment radical astatine hazard of superior harm.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says the Illegal Migration Bill penalises refugees and could breach planetary law.

But the location caput denied this, and said it would deter radical from making unsafe Channel crossings.

It comes arsenic the measure faces its last stages successful the Commons later.

Ministers are inactive successful last-ditch talks with Conservative rebels who privation to bounds however agelong unaccompanied children could beryllium detained nether the bill.

Ministers person besides committed to consulting connected caller harmless and ineligible routes for migrants, aft unit connected the contented from backbenchers.

The bill, unveiled successful March, is simply a cardinal portion of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's program to "stop" tiny boats crossing the English Channel.

It volition spot a ineligible work connected the location caput to detain and region those arriving successful the UK illegally, to Rwanda oregon a "safe" 3rd country.

This volition instrumentality ineligible precedence implicit someone's close to assertion asylum, prompting accusations it volition enactment the UK successful breach of its ineligible obligations towards refugees.

In a statement connected Monday, the EHRC said it had concerns the measure risked a breach of planetary law, and "exposing individuals to superior harm".

It besides added that it had concerns implicit "broad provisions" successful the measure to detain children and large women arriving connected tiny boats.

But Ms Braverman rejected the watchdog's criticism, saying she disagreed with the thought the measure would enactment radical astatine superior harm.

Asked astir the EHRC's presumption connected BBC Breakfast, she said: "I refute the proposition our measures are unlawful, oregon so cruel oregon inhumane.

"Our measures successful the measure are some robust and humanitarian and compassionate," she added.

"We request to inject an constituent of deterrence, truthful that radical don't marque the treacherous travel connected a flimsy dinghy successful the mediate of the nighttime successful the archetypal place".

She declined to accidental however galore other places would beryllium needed to detain radical nether the caller bill, saying much capableness would beryllium needed but she could not springiness a "precise figure".

She besides faced questions astir whether the UK would make caller ineligible routes for radical fleeing unit successful Sudan.

Asked wherefore caller routes for them person not yet been announced, she said the UK's existent precedence was to enactment British nationals, and determination were "a batch of unknowns" astir however the concern would develop.

On Tuesday, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said the UK was supporting different countries hosting refugees successful the region, but conceded that "in time" the situation was apt to pb to caller migration pressures.

The authorities has already committed to publishing a study connected caller harmless and ineligible routes wrong six months of the measure becoming law, to beryllium implemented by the extremity of 2024.

It means a rebellion connected that contented is improbable successful the Commons later, though talks are ongoing implicit a antithetic rebel amendment connected kid detention.

Under the amendment, tabled by Tory MP Tim Loughton, the Home Office would necessitate support from a tribunal to detain unaccompanied kid migrants for much than 3 days.

The measure is wide expected to look important absorption erstwhile it proceeds to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.