Sunak and his Tories should be ashamed of pulling up the ladder

Rishi Sunak’s ancestors first migrated to Kenya from India and then settled in Britain. Like him, Suella Braverman and Priti Patel too also had a similar background … writes Prof. Kishan Devani, BEM, FRSA

The Tories’ divisive Immigration policy is one that should not surprise any one of us. Given their political history which has had the likes of Enoch Powell at the helm of their party, it really should not surprise us that Sunak, Braverman and others are taking such hardline views on Immigration.

As the son of refugees myself, whose parents arrived here from Uganda (grandparents from India to Uganda in the early 1900s) in the 1970’s I have witnessed many in my community, who are now comfortable with pulling up the ladder after them. The classic examples are of course, Sunak, Braverman and Patel.

Rishi Sunak’s ancestors first migrated to Kenya from India and then settled in Britain. Like him, Suella Braverman and Priti Patel also had similar backgrounds.

The recent immigration policy proposed by Sunak & his team has caused quite a stir. The ‘Stop the Boats Bill’, or Illegal Migration Bill seeks to end illegal entry as a route to asylum in the country and even denies them the opportunity to put forward their case. Many have been taken aback by Sunak’s & Braverman’s strong anti-immigration stance, and their utterances, especially considering their own family’s migration history.

Announcing this policy, Sunak wrote: “If you come to the UK illegally, you will be stopped from making late claims and attempts to frustrate your removal. You will be removed in weeks, either to your own country if it is safe to do so, or to a safe third country like Rwanda.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, in her statement, said: “The British people rightly expect us to solve this crisis and that’s what myself and the Prime Minister fully intend to do. We must stop the boats. You will not be allowed to stay.”

One might assume that individuals who have personal experience with immigration would be more sympathetic to the plight of immigrants. However, the reality is quite different. Many of these politicians have been at the forefront of implementing harsh anti-immigration policies. They seem to be closing the door behind them.

There may be a few reasons behind why Sunak, Braverman and Patel have been willing to pull up the ladder behind themselves. I have tried to examine a couple below.

This class of comparatively earlier migrants (which my own family belong to) often see themselves as a unique group of people who were able to successfully integrate into British society, and that others will not be able to do the same. This may lead to a belief that those who are unable to integrate are somehow less deserving of being allowed into the country. This line of thinking is dangerous as it perpetuates the idea of deserving and undeserving migrants, leading to the further marginalisation of certain groups. Which is the line the Conservatives have been very happy to peddle now for some time. They also feel the need to distance themselves from recent migrants. This phenomenon is not unique to the UK, as many immigrant groups in various countries have attempted to distance themselves from new arrivals in order to avoid being associated with negative stereotypes and discrimination.

Another possible explanation for support for such legislation could be that these politicians, including Sunak, are catering to the anti-immigrant sentiment, which exists in certain parts of British society. To appease their vote base, they are advocating stricter immigration laws and projecting themselves to be tougher and harsher on immigration. as well as to gain acceptance from the Conservative Party base that they represent. Sunak & Braverman may feel that by being vocal about their anti-immigration stance, they can prove their loyalty to the conservative party and establish themselves as “true” British citizens.

Whatever the rationale behind the actions of Sunak’s Conservatives – what is for sure is that they are callous, heartless and divisive policies which are defunct of any long-term vision in an ever-increasing globalised world. As someone from an East African Asian background the same as Sunak, Braverman and Patel – I am truly ashamed and embarrassed at the country they are trying to make us into. Pulling up the Ladder is morally repulsive and regressive. We shall not let them win and shall look to build an inclusive, tolerant Britain that is outward-looking and progressive. As someone who has campaigned with the last 5 Conservative Prime Ministers, I strongly urge our community to vote against this divisive politics at the next given opportunity.

(Professor Kishan Devani BEM, FRSA is a UK political & public figure and a writer & columnist)