Lee Anderson refuses to apologise for migrant comment
Lee Anderson has said the Government should send illegal migrants to the Orkney Islands while waiting for their asylum applications to be processed.
The Tory Deputy Chairman was responding to reports ministers had previously considered sending migrants to the Falkland Islands.
Mr Anderson said he had mentioned such a scheme to Boris Johnson about two years ago “and he smiled at me”.
However, he now thinks such a solution would not be fair on the South American islanders.
He told GB News: “But I don’t think it’s fair on the Falkland Islands, to be honest; they don’t want these illegal migrants going down there.
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READ MORE: Lee Anderson leads calls to ignore Rwanda ruling and ‘put migrants in the air’
“There’s a better option: We can keep them on British soil if you like. We’ve got the Orkneys or some remote Scottish island. I know it’s a bit parky up there this time of year.
“But if people are genuinely escaping war or persecution then a nice Scottish island with a few outbuildings would be suitable.”
He joked that the UK is “beautiful” and parts of Scotland are a go-to destination, adding: “I’d like to be able to afford a place up there.
“If we can get some accommodation up there, keep these people safe – these people want to be safe, they’re fleeing so-called persecution from these war-torn countries. If we can put them on a nice, safe island in the North of Scotland, job done.
“If we can find an island in the Orkneys or up there that’s got no one on there to start off with, put some decent accommodation on, then it’s job done.
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“The Falkland Islands, I think it’s a little bit far to go and it’s not fair on the Falkland Islanders who have got their own problems at the moment with their sovereignty, with Argentina.
“But if people are genuinely escaping violence or persecution then a nice little island in the north of Scotland is perfect.”
The Tory Party Deputy Chairman was defended by Rishi Sunak after saying the Government should “ignore” the ruling of the Supreme Court and “put the planes in the air now!”
Despite outrage from some at the suggestion, the Prime Minister said he “absolutely” shared Mr Anderson’s and many others’ frustrations.
Asked if he backed his party’s deputy chairman, Rishi Sunak said: “I think what Lee’s comments and indeed the comments of others do is reflect the strength of feeling in the country on this issue.
“And I absolutely share, actually, in the frustrations that my colleagues and indeed people across the country have about this issue.”
The Government is pursuing a new treaty with Rwanda in order to address the Supreme Court’s concerns and is pushing to get planes out to the country as soon as possible.
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