The UK Home Office has been accused of making excuses for the collapse of a migrant returns agreement with Turkey, despite the country being a popular destination for British tourists, with 3.16 million UK visitors from January to September 2023. Critics, including Tory MP Tim Loughton and Barrister Steven Barrett, have challenged the Home Office's safety concerns, while others like Jake Berry have accused civil servants of working against the British people's wishes. The failure of this agreement is a significant setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's immigration policy. Furthermore, Martin Howe KC, a leading legal expert with long-standing ties to the Conservative Party, has resigned in protest of Sunak's immigration stance and joined the Reform UK party.
Martin Howe KC, long-standing Tory adviser, joins the fast growing @reformparty_uk Welcome! “Sunak’s weakness on migration has driven me to leave the Conservative Party” https://t.co/paBWCpQvy3
Sunak’s weakness on migration has driven me to leave the Conservative Party As a life-long Conservative – a Parliamentary candidate, constituency chairman and councillor – I’m appalled by the betrayal MARTIN HOWE- https://t.co/yoXJKPqRid
Martin Howe KC, perhaps the leading legal brain of Tory politics, has announced his resignation from the Conservative Party over Sunak's weak approach to illegal immigration. A piece by him in the Telegraph implies he will support Reform at the election. Major blow for Sunak.
Over 3 million people went to Turkey on holiday last year from the UK. Yet the Civil Service say it's not a safe country and have put a stop to the returns agreement our Prime Minister has signed. Time and time again, Civil Servants working against the British people's wishes. https://t.co/W9GvC4A4UZ
✍️ 'As a life-long Conservative – a Parliamentary candidate, constituency chairman and councillor – I’m appalled by the betrayal' | Writes Martin Howe Read his column here ⬇️ https://t.co/yPUBI0RGRY https://t.co/ekbRLLvQL2
A key part of Rishi Sunak’s effort to stop the boats has collapsed after Home Office officials declared that Turkey was not a safe country to send migrants back to because of human rights concerns ⬇️ https://t.co/hYG6Ieinoq
There were 3.16 million UK visitors in Turkey from January to September 2023. That's 3.16 million people holidaying in a destination that the Home Office has declared as unsafe. Good enough for British tourists, not good enough for illegal migrants. WHAT. ARE. THEY. PLAYING. AT.
🖥️A Barrister has said the Home Office are 'making 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬' as the Turkey migrant return deal collapses... 'They could pass acts tomorrow!' Watch here: https://t.co/hNfGeDXt6V https://t.co/crcJL8iSW5
🖥️A Barrister has said the Home Office are 'making 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀' as the Turkey migrant return deal collapses... 'They could pass acts tomorrow!' Watch here: https://t.co/hNfGeDXt6V https://t.co/mQnlUaqLkd
'We're going to have start asking important questions about the Home Office, and what it is up to. They're finding excuses, large numbers of us go on holiday to Turkey!' Barrister, Steven Barrett, grills the Home Office for a migrants return deal failing to go ahead with Turkey. https://t.co/TORhW1dJQb
'I don't buy this' Tory MP Tim Loughton doesn't understand why the Home Office has ruled out a migrant returns agreement with Turkey on safety grounds, when Turkey is safe enough for hundreds of thousands of Brits to holiday in. https://t.co/5hRsKh4pct
Turkey, a NATO ally famous tourist destination for Brits is now too dangerous to send back migrants https://t.co/2Z81e71r3L