Minister Slammed Over 'Disgusting' And 'Sickening' Comment About Migrants

"What happened to Britain being tolerant and welcoming?”
Robert Jenrick
Robert Jenrick
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Robert Jenrick is under fire for claiming uncontrolled migration threatens to “cannibalise” the compassion of the British public.

The senior Tory has been accused of using “dog whistle politics” in a speech he made to the Policy Exchange think-tank on Tuesday.

The immigration minister told the audience: “Put simply, excessive, uncontrolled migration threatens to cannibalise that compassion that marks out the British people.”

Jenrick went on to claim that those crossing the Channel have “completely different lifestyles and values” to those in the UK and tend to settle in “already hyper diverse areas”.

#KayBurley - Robert Jenrick said people fleeing from Sudan threaten to cannibalize the UK's compassion... he essentially called migrants subhuman?

Suella Braverman - People coming here illegally are breaking our laws

KB - Better to stay in Sudan with the warlords#BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/hlnupSq48x

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) April 26, 2023

He claimed this undermines the “cultural cohesiveness” that binds diverse groups together.

Commentator Narinder Kaur said: “Absolutely horrible words to use on those seeking refuge.

“Cannibalise? This is what I mean...what happened to Britain being tolerant and welcoming?”

Soaring numbers of migrants who arrive in the UK illegally via small boats undermine Britain’s “cultural cohesiveness” because they tend to live “completely different lifestyles”, says Robert Jenrick, and "threaten to cannibalise" our natural compassion. Just ugh.

— David Aaronovitch (@DAaronovitch) April 26, 2023

Former Jeremy Corbyn aide James Schneider tweeted: “What an utterly disgusting thing to say.

“They attack refugees to distract from the organised theft from most people by a tiny few, facilitated by the government.

“Refugees didn’t cut publish services, slash wages or hand out billions to the super rich.”

"Cannibalise". The cupboard is bare. All that remains is trash talk. What an embarrassment, what a disgrace. #jenrick

— stefanstern (@stefanstern) April 26, 2023

One social media user described Jenrick’s words as “sickening” and added: “Using the word ‘cannibalise’ is degrading and dehumanising.”

“How dare Robert Jenrick use emotionally highly-charged expressions such as ‘to cannibalise our compassion’ when referring to refugees,” another added.

One described it as “the worst kind of dog whistle politics” that “incites hatred”.

"The people coming here illegally do possess values which are at odds with our country."@NickFerrariLBC asks Home Secretary Suella Braverman if she shares Robert Jenrick's view that uncontrolled migration could 'cannibalise British compassion'. pic.twitter.com/hmIbfFiaGV

— LBC (@LBC) April 26, 2023

Asked whether she agreed with Jenrick’s view, home secretary Suella Braverman said: “I think that the people coming here illegally do possess values which are at odds with our country.

“We are seeing heightened levels of criminality when related to the people who’ve come on boats related to drug dealing, exploitation, prostitution.

“There are real challenges which go beyond the migration issue of people coming here illegally. We need to ensure that we bring an end to the boat crossings.”

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