Rishi Sunak supports Rwanda migrant deportation scheme 'as the child and grandchild of immigrants' saying action is needed to stop criminal gangs sending people to their deaths

  • He spoke in support of the scheme 'as the child and grandchild of immigrants' 
  • All remaining candidates in Tory leadership race have backed £120m scheme
  • First flight unlikely to take off before new prime minister unveiled in September 

Rishi Sunak today backed Boris Johnson's Rwanda migrant deportation scheme, saying it was vital to stop criminal gangs putting people in harm's way by crossing the Channel.

The former chancellor, 42, spoke in support of the scheme 'as the child and grandchild of immigrants' to the UK.

All the remaining six candidates in the Tory leadership race have backed the £120million scheme to send those deemed to be here illegally to East Africa.

The controversial plan has yet to send anyone to Kigali, and the first flight is unlikely to  take off before a new prime minister is unveiled in September - if it survives legal attempts to have it scrapped.

Mr Sunak told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's absolutely critical that we have control of our borders, and I say that as the child and grandchild of immigrants.

'This country has a proud history of welcoming people but it's also vital that we're in control of who's coming here.

'And, sadly, there is an illegal set of criminal gangs who were causing people to die in pursuit of coming here. We must stop that.'

It came as rightwinger Suella Braverman, herself the child of immigrants to Britain, begged Tory MPs to keep her in the race as 'the only one who can stop the small boats' crossing from France.

The former chancellor, 42, spoke in support of the scheme 'as the child and grandchild of immigrants' to the UK.

The former chancellor, 42, spoke in support of the scheme 'as the child and grandchild of immigrants' to the UK.

The controversial plan has yet to send anyone to Kigali, and the first flight is unlikely to take off before a new prime minister is unveiled in September

The controversial plan has yet to send anyone to Kigali, and the first flight is unlikely to take off before a new prime minister is unveiled in September

Rightwinger Suella Braverman, herself the child of immigrants to Britain, begged Tory MPs to keep her in the race as 'the only one who can stop the small boats' crossing from France

Rightwinger Suella Braverman, herself the child of immigrants to Britain, begged Tory MPs to keep her in the race as 'the only one who can stop the small boats' crossing from France

At her campaign launch this morning, Liz Truss also fell in behind the Rwanda policy, saying she 'completely agrees' with it.

At her campaign launch this morning, Liz Truss also fell in behind the Rwanda policy, saying she 'completely agrees' with it.

More than 14,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel by small boat so far this year, it was announced today.

A total of 14,010 people have made the perilous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits in 419 boats since the start of January, according to the Home Office.

It means more migrants have arrived on UK shores at this point this year than they had in last. It was not until in September last year that the number of people to successfully make the crossing hit 14,000.

Meanwhile, the arrival of a heatwave in the UK this week is expected to bring with it a rise in the number of migrant crossings - with better sea conditions tempting more to make the risky journey.

At least 100 people were escorted into Dover on board Border Force catamaran Typhoon around 9am this morning. It is not yet known if any more migrants have arrived today.

Today one soldier was seen carrying a young girl, wearing a blue dress and a red beanie, in his arms

Today one soldier was seen carrying a young girl, wearing a blue dress and a red beanie, in his arms

Mr Sunak, who boarded at the £40,000-a-year Winchester College as a child, was born in Southampton and describes his hobbies as 'keeping fit, cricket, football and movies'.

A third-generation Indian immigrant, Mr Sunak's father was an NHS GP and his mother ran a chemist's.

At her campaign launch this morning, Liz Truss also fell in behind the Rwanda policy, saying she 'completely agrees' with it. 

In reality, any contender who fails to back the scheme is open to criticism that they are soft on immigration, a key policy area for Conservative Party members. 

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