The government’s latest efforts to address migrant boats crossing the English Channel has sparked outrage, as the prime minister’s spokesperson suggested the new “turnaround tactics” are supported by the general public.
The UK Border Force is set to use the tactics to force boats back towards France, with Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson adding that the government is continuing to “evaluate and test a range of safe and legal options” to stop “dangerous” migrant crossings.
Speaking on Thursday, they went on to add: “We know this is a long-standing problem that the public expect us to address. It simply cannot be right that … criminal gangs are able to exploit our most vulnerable and put their lives at risk.
“It needs to be addressed. It’s what the public want, and it’s what we’re doing.”
Twitter, however, disagrees, with the hashtag #NotInMyName trending on the social media platform as people express their opposition to the “shameful” tactics:
Not me...I think it is shameful #NotInMyName https://t.co/tM9jsiZomV
— Deborah Meaden 💙 (@DeborahMeaden) September 10, 2021
Johnson has confirmed its new ‘Turnaround Tactics’ For migrant Boats. Stating “it’s what the public want”. Can every journalist, moral MP and citizen, directly challenge the Prime Minister on why he’s telling the world that WE want to threaten the lives of refugee.#NotInMyName
— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) September 10, 2021
Member of the public here. Not a word, or a deed, or a policy, or even a scrap of paper from any member of the current Government represents what I want. #NotInMyName https://t.co/Xn72mNzldv
— Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) September 10, 2021
I don't want this. I've never wanted this. I never will want this #NotInMyName https://t.co/IygeCRSyhU
— CllrAmandaMorris 🌼 (@libbymclibdem) September 11, 2021
Not me. #NotInMyName https://t.co/3e8HR2Tnd9
— David Paisley - Man at Bus Stop (@DavidPaisley) September 10, 2021
No.10 says the public wants them to push back refugee boats.
— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) September 10, 2021
Share if you disagree. #NotInMyName pic.twitter.com/dWGT3vnsvS
#NotInMyName. Pretty sick of the populist 'will of the people' trope. Who is this imaginary 'public' agreeing in consensus? Not in my name. https://t.co/xsCr1j7tCD
— Christopher Howell Bailey (@howellthink) September 10, 2021
I to am a member of the public and I do not want this - Migrants over racists anytime, any day. #NotInMyName https://t.co/VMi2NJVPGX
— Zasha Whiteway-Wilkinson (@zashawwilkinson) September 10, 2021
Unethical, impractical, and probably illegal. I am a member of the public and I do not want this! #NotInMyName https://t.co/aE7kaDsFQr
— Stephen Cobb (@zcobb) September 10, 2021
The move has also been met with criticism from lawyers, charities and campaigners, with Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International UK, describing the plan as “senseless, dangerous and almost certainly unlawful”.
Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: “Resorting to cowardly, extreme and illegal pushbacks shows Government policy has always been about bullying refugees to score political points rather than breaking up smuggling gangs.
“We all want the boats to stop but this plan massively increases the chances of families drowning at sea.
“The Government must do what is right and provide routes to safety such as family reunion schemes, humanitarian visas, and an ambitious and long-term commitment to refugee resettlement.”
News of the new tactic came after Priti Patel, the home secretary, met with French interior minister Gérald Darmanin on Wednesday to discuss “tackling illegal migration across the Channel”.
“I made clear that delivering results and stopping crossings were an absolute priority for the British people,” she tweeted.
