Nigel Farage has cast doubt over the future of the Illegal Migration Bill as he feels the UK faces a major stumbling block in the form of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Farage said while the Government is toughening its tone on illegal migrants, their lack of ambition to leave the ECHR suggests they are not as firm on the issue as they are suggesting.
“They’ve toughened up the rhetoric, they’re toughening up the legislation. But at the same time, Concerns get raised over the lack of compatibility with the principles enshrined within the ECHR.
“Suella Braverman basically admits that it isn’t compatible. She does it very gently. Rishi Sunak also admits that there are no circumstances in which we will leave the ECHR.
“My guess is, the game they’re playing is to tell the British public, ‘we think the same as 70 per cent of you, but these horrible foreign judges are stopping us making our own decisions’.
“What will happen is, this will fail completely and they won’t stop the boats. They will up the ante on the rhetoric, and they will fight the next election on the ECHR issue.”
Ex-Prime Minister Theresa May has criticised the move
She described an amendment tabled by ministers as a “slap in the face” for those who care about the victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.