10 March 2023 , 12:00
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Gary Lineker will eventually be proved wrong over the Tories' crackdown on Channel migrants, Rishi Sunak claimed today.
The Match of the Day host branded the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill “an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the '30s”.
Lineker’s comments sparked outrage, with some critics accusing the ex-England striker of diminishing the horrors of the Holocaust.
Speaking as he travelled to Paris for crunch talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister was asked if "the Gary Linekers of the world” would “realise they’ve got it wrong" over time.
Deepening the Conservative rift with the TV presenter, the PM said: "I hope everyone over time realises that this is the right approach because we’ve looked at lots of different things, tried lots of other ways and nothing else has worked, and having looked at this long and hard myself I’m confident this is the best and right approach to solve this problem.”
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Several senior Tories have criticised Gary Lineker over his comments (BBC)More than 3,00 migrants have made the perilous journey across the Channel in small inflatables so far this year.
The Home Office is braced for up to 80,000 to arrive in 2023.
Mr Sunak has made “stopping the boats” one of the five “key priorities” of his premiership.
But critics believe the flagship legislation is unworkable and could clash with international law.
However, speaking as he travelled by Eurostar to the French capital for talks with Mr Macron over the Channel migrant crisis, the PM insisted: “I strongly believe that what we’re doing is the right thing to do.
“I think it’s the fair thing to do and I actually believe that it’s the moral and compassionate thing to do, and I’ve made that argument multiple times.
The Prime Minister is in Paris for talks with Emmanuel Macron (AP)“I’ll continue to make it and I think actually the more people think about this challenge and how best to address it they will see that it is the right approach.”
The PM is holding talks with the French premier at the Elysee Palace, where he will urge Mr Macron to do more to ensure Britain can return migrants to the EU.
“That’s one of the things that hopefully we can talk a little bit about today,” admitted the PM.
But he added: “Given the nature and scale of the problem that we’re facing, the priority right now is doing things that can stop the flow of illegal arrivals.
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“That’s why, right now … having boots on the ground, greater cooperation between our teams, is the thing that can make the most difference in the short term and that’s where we focus most of our attention.
“Over time, having those conversations with the EU is definitely a part of it.
“That will take a bit longer time to have those conversations, relative to the things we need to do now. That will be our focus today.”