UK is compassionate, says PM after Suella Braverman invasion row

Rishi Sunak has said the UK is simply a "compassionate" country, aft the location caput was criticised for saying confederate England was facing an "invasion" of amerciable migrants.

Suella Braverman was accused of utilizing inflammatory connection by exile charities and absorption parties.

But immoderate Tory MPs and the ex-leader of UKIP said she was close to talk out.

Downing Street did not remark connected whether the premier curate would besides picture the concern arsenic an invasion.

But Mr Sunak's authoritative spokesperson said: "The location caput was seeking to explicit the sheer standard of the situation that faces the country, with people, including a important proportionality of economical migrants, seeking to marque this journey."

Ministers are nether unit to tackle the increasing numbers crossing the Channel successful tiny boats.

Ms Braverman has been criticised for overcrowding astatine the Manston migrant processing centre successful Kent, which has reportedly led to outbreaks of illness and violence.

The premier minister's authoritative spokesperson said Rishi Sunak told his furniture astatine a gathering connected Tuesday that the UK would "always beryllium a compassionate, welcoming country", portion Ms Braverman said a "whole authorities approach" would beryllium needed to tackle the migrant crisis.

The spokesperson said helium had not asked Mr Sunak however helium would personally picture the standard of the issue, oregon whether it was inappropriate for the location caput to usage the connection "invasion".

Charities criticised the usage of the connection "invasion", with the Refugee Council saying the connection was "appalling, incorrect and dangerous".

"These are men, women and children fleeing war, persecution and conflict," the foundation added.

Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, who represents North Thanet, wherever the Manston centre is located, said utilizing specified "inflammatory language" was "completely unacceptable" and "might good incite an unpleasant constituent successful British nine to violence".

He said Ms Braverman's insistence that she had not blocked the usage of hotels to easiness overcrowding astatine Manston was "disingenuous" and the occupation wass made "right astatine the apical of the Home Office".

He claimed Ms Braverman's predecessors arsenic location caput had commissioned alternate accommodation but she had not, starring to a "log jam".

Asked if this was a generous mode of saying Ms Braverman was not telling the truth, helium replied: "Yes."

Other Conservative MPs supported Ms Braverman, with Brendan Clarke-Smith saying she was "right", adding that "we indispensable halt radical abusing our system, alternatively than making excuses for them".

Nigel Farage, erstwhile person of the Brexit Party and UKIP, said successful a Twitter video Ms Braverman was close to usage the connection "invasion".

"I truly anticipation she stays successful station but judge maine the constitution are retired to get her due to the fact that she's got the guts to accidental galore of these radical are conscionable not refugees," helium added.

Labour's shadiness location caput Yvette Cooper said: "No location caput who was superior astir nationalist information oregon nationalist information would usage highly inflammatory connection connected the time aft a unsafe petrol weaponry onslaught connected a Dover archetypal processing centre."

The SNP said Ms Braverman's "incendiary connection makes a mockery of [prime minister] Rishi Sunak's claims astir alleged compassionate conservatism".

At 1 constituent implicit the weekend, immoderate 4,000 radical were being held astatine the erstwhile RAF basal astatine Manston, which is lone designed to accommodate 1,600 radical connected a impermanent basis.

The location caput told a furniture gathering connected Tuesday that the Dover centre had present reopened and ample numbers were being taken from Manston to different accommodation.

Since then, main inspector Charlie Taylor said the concern had "significantly deteriorated".

People are lone expected to beryllium kept astatine Manston for 24 hours for information and individuality checks, earlier being moved into the Home Office's asylum accommodation system, which often means a hotel.

When the main inspector of migration visited past week, helium recovered immoderate radical had been determination for implicit a month. That included one household who had been determination for 32 days, sleeping connected mats successful a marquee.

A grounds fig of migrants person arrived successful the UK connected tiny boats this year, with astir 1,000 making the crossing connected Saturday, a further 468 crossing connected Sunday and 46 connected Monday.

The location caput told MPs connected Monday that taxpayers look "a measure of £6.8m a time for edifice accommodation" for migrants.