Suella Braverman has watered down Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” after committing only to a “dramatic reduction” in the number of migrants crossing the Channel.
The home secretary refused to give a timeframe for achieving the target, one of the government’s five priorities.
A record-breaking 45,756 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats last year and internal Home Office forecasts have predicted that about 65,000 will attempt it this year.
More than 1,500 have crossed so far this year, with the latest crossings on Wednesday when 189 reached the UK in four boats despite freezing temperatures.
In an interview with ITV News, Braverman said she was “very confident” that the government’s plan to stop illegal immigration would lead to a sharp drop in
