Letters: For too long immigration policy has been at the mercy of liberal lawyers

SIR – The Government’s effort to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda has turned into a farce, sabotaged by a small yet vociferous minority and aided and abetted by liberal lawyers (report, June 15).

For many years it has seemed almost impossible to deport anyone from Britain, no matter what their crime or how invalid their claim to remain. The doctrine of human rights seems to trump all other arguments.

To enter any country without proper documentation or without going through a recognised point of access is illegal. Britain, a sovereign state, has the undeniable right to decide who is allowed to live here, and its government has the executive powers to act on this.

Britain has a long history of accepting genuine refugees and needs no lectures on its responsibilities, international or otherwise. Most voters are fed up with seeing their wishes thwarted by Left-wing activists.

Mick Richards
Worcester

SIR – The Government is doomed to failure in its efforts to deport asylum seekers until it reforms or repeals the Human Rights Act.

Even then, we will still be signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, and an appeal to Strasbourg will still be possible. Both these situations need to be resolved before any more time, money and effort are expended on a futile project.

James Farrington
Hartfield, East Sussex

SIR – I am nearly 93 and have voted Conservative all my life, but will withhold my support next time if the awful plan to send migrants to Rwanda eventually goes ahead.

I am horrified at what is being done to correct a problem that lies mostly with the French, who have shamelessly allowed (or even encouraged) migrants to travel across the country across their country to the Calais area – where they live in appalling conditions – with the sole aim of crossing the Channel, at enormous risk, and seeking refuge with us.

Kel Prince
Rothley, Leicestershire

SIR – The plan to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda has met with opprobrium in many quarters, from politicians to the Lords Spiritual to (allegedly) the Prince of Wales. What is not clear is whether these people are objecting to deportation per se or to deportation to Rwanda in particular. I suspect that if the deportation was to, say, France, those against the plan would be less vocal.

Rwanda’s reputation stems from the 1994 genocide. Today, however, it is a very different place, as I have seen during five visits in the last 10 years, working in support of a charity. The people describe themselves as Rwandans, rather than being Tutsis or Hutus, and I have never found them to be anything but a joy to be with. The country is thriving.

Peter Munro
Wincanton, Somerset

Cricket at its best

SIR – How refreshing to see the wonderful sporting spirit in which the two Tests against New Zealand have been played (report, June 15).

Players on both sides have treated each other with obvious respect and smiling good humour. The pleasantries between players are in marked contrast to the snarling exchanges that so often mar Ashes Tests.

The New Zealand players deserve the utmost credit for the way they have conducted themselves throughout, but particularly when they haven’t enjoyed the rub of the green in two closely contested games.

In these fascinating Test matches cricket really has come home.

Michael Neild
Blackburn, Lancashire

SNP fantasies

SIR – Nicola Sturgeon has had the temerity to launch a work of fiction: “Independence in the Modern World. Wealthier, Happier, Fairer: Why Not Scotland?” (Leading Article, June 15).

She and her acolytes have ignored advice from the esteemed economist Professor John Kay, that Scotland would be likely to begin independence in debt by£180 billion, with a need to borrow about £20 billion per annum.

The real question is why, after 15 years of SNP government, Scotland as a nation is not already “wealthier, happier and fairer”, with tax-raising powers and control over education and the NHS. According to Ms Sturgeon, it is all Westminster’s fault.

I look forward to her answering the real questions – around currency, tax, our borders, Nato and EU membership, nuclear weapons, and the role of the Bank of England in an independent Scotland – with facts and authority. Until she can, independence is a fantasy that will continue to divide our nation and waste our money.

Richard Allison
Edinburgh

Working the crowd

SIR – Following the tale of the Chinese UN interpreter who urged negotiators to laugh at an “untranslatable joke” (Letters, June 15), as headmistress of a London school with a number of pupils from Korea, I was always pleased by the reception that my welcome talks to parents received.

I then found that my Korean colleague and interpreter translated my last sentence as: “She has finished. All stand up and clap enthusiastically.”

Dr Jennifer Longhurst
Surbiton, Surrey

The harm of strikes

SIR – On June 21 – the first day of three strikes planned by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (report, June 15) – I have a 10am appointment at a central London hospital. If I take three buses it may be possible to get there, but doubtless everyone else who has essential business will also be struggling to get on one.

I am worried for myself, but I am also concerned about the hospital staff who must struggle to work every day and without whom my care would be compromised. The majority of these staff will earn nothing like the salaries drawn by members of the RMT and Aslef.

Elizabeth Balsom
London SW15

PM’s Belfast promises

SIR – Simon Hoare, the Conservative MP, speaking on changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, says: “There should be a unifying question of ‘Is this what the Tory party does?’ ” (report, June 15).

In fact, the unifying question should be: “Is this what the United Kingdom voted for?”

Mr Hoare continues: “Britain has always been seen as a country that if it gives its word, it sticks by it.” He has obviously forgotten Boris Johnson’s categorical promise, made to NI politicians in Belfast, that there would be no border in the Irish Sea.

George Kelly
Buckingham

Nursing shortages

SIR – In the House of Lords later today we will debate a report from the Royal College of Nursing, which sets out how acute the staffing difficulties are.

Findings from 20,000 front-line nursing staff are clear: eight in 10 (83 per cent) said that the staffing levels on their last shift were not sufficient to meet patient needs, and only a quarter of shifts had the planned number of registered nurses.

Many in the House supported recent cross-party efforts to amend the Health and Care Bill, to ensure that there were mechanisms for government accountability on workforce planning and to clarify workforce numbers required for health and care services. But the Act passed into law without these aspects being resolved.

While there are pledges to increase nursing numbers, the data are worrying: in the last year more than 25,000 nursing staff left the profession.

We urge the Government to consider dramatically strengthening its approach to the provision and supply of the health and care workforce, for the sake of our nation’s health, our shared prosperity and our future.

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (Crossbench)
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party)
Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrats)
Baroness Brinton of Kenardington (Liberal Democrats)
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour Co-operative)
London SW1

Protected pubs

SIR – It was good to read (report, June 15) that Whitlock’s Ale House in Leeds has been declared a Grade II* listed building.

This is a wonderful pub that I visited a couple of years ago on my quest to visit the heritage pubs mentioned in the guides published by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Sadly too many of these are being closed. More need to be granted listed status so that we can all enjoy the great history of British hostelries.

Dr Robert Mitchell
Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire

When cigarettes serve as a light in the dark

SIR – Camilla Coats-Carr (Letters, June 14) is right that smoking can provide much-needed relief.

My brother, as a prisoner of war in North Korea, was given a tobacco ration by the Chinese. Paper, for rolling purposes, became a valuable commodity since the Chinese did not issue any. My brother thought of that tobacco issue as a life-saver.

The following is a verse taken from Surviving the Sword, a book about POWs in Japanese hands during the Second World War. The poem is called “The Fifth Horseman” and was written in the Philippines by Charles Brown, an American POW.

To the wounded went his magic leaves,

And the dying blessed his name.

Hunger vanished in his golden dust,

And it will always be the same.

Where the beast lets loose his fury,

And his four horsemen rage the land

This fifth one, called Tobacco, rides

To soothe the stricken man.

I have been a non-smoker for more than 50 years but I would not deny “a spit and a draw” to a stricken man.

Keith Kenworthy
Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

A grown-up way to enjoy your marmalade

SIR – Reading the letters (June 15) on marmalade, I am surprised that no one has yet mentioned the delights of marmalade vodka.

The recipe, by Lucy Deedes, was featured in The Telegraph a few years ago. It is alarmingly simple. Add five or six tablespoons of sharp, bitter marmalade to a litre of vodka. Shake the bottle every time you pass it. After a fortnight or so, strain and filter the vodka, and keep it in the freezer. Don’t worry, it won’t freeze solid – too much alcohol.

Drink in shot glasses straight from the freezer. Not only will you taste the delicious marmalade but you will also find that you have made a very smooth drink.

Philip Glascoe
Canterbury, Kent

SIR – The only way to eat scrambled egg is topped with marmalade and served on a Scottish morning roll, preferably freshly baked.

Betty Macey
Clare, Suffolk

SIR – My aunt used to cook roast lamb shoulder with marmalade spread over the skin. I tried it once. Only once.

Sally Butcher
Salisbury, Wiltshire

SIR – Would readers kindly stop sending in more ideas for sweet-and-savoury mixtures? I refer to such ideas as “chips and custard”, and personally cannot stomach them.

Gammon and pineapple? Ugh! Cheese and pineapple? Ugh again! I think I developed this aversion as a child when my grandmother used to make mint sauce so sweet that I couldn’t eat the lamb.

Geoffrey Winks
Nottingham

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