Fury at Priti Patel's Christmas card showing her as a fairy magicking up Rwanda deportations
21 December 2022, 12:03
Priti Patel has been accused of lacking "basic human decency" by a fellow MP after she sent a Christmas card depicting herself as a fairy on top of the tree magicking up deportations to Rwanda.
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Former Home Secretary Ms Patel, under whose tenure the Rwanda scheme was launched, sent out the card to political contacts, according to reports.
The image shows her as a smiling fairy standing on top of the tree and waving a magic want, with baubles listing her policy achievements.
Those include 'Rwanda', ''Points System', 'National Security', 'Victim Support', 'Law and Order', and '[Homes] for Ukraine'.
Sitting at the bottom of the tree is a tousle-haired Boris Johnson, shown as a child waiting to open his presents.
It comes after the High Court ruled on Monday that the government's scheme to deport migrants who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda so they can apply for asylum to the east African country there was ruled legal.
But ministers "must consider properly the circumstances of each individual claimant," the judge said.
No one has yet been deported to Rwanda since the scheme was launched earlier this year, with the European Court of Human Rights blocking a flight in June.
The Rwanda scheme has been attacked as cruel by campaigners, religious groups and opposition politicians alike.
Backers say it will deter the ruthless people smugglers who profit off the misery of desperate people willing to risk their lives to make the dangerous English Channel crossing in small dinghies.
Reacting to Ms Patel's choice of Christmas card, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: "We have seen Priti Patel’s lack of basic human decency time and time again – why should we expect anything less at Christmastime?"
He added: "This is the Christmas card of someone who read the nativity story and thought King Herod had the right idea.
"If Priti Patel had been around, Mary, Joseph and Jesus would have been on their way to Rwanda before the three wise men could arrive."
A Labour source told the Mirror: "Given that Priti Patel’s Tory legacy is record low arrest and charge rates against criminals and record high dangerous boat crossings you’d think she’d want to hide under the Christmas tree, not claim to be the fairy on top of it.
Ms Patel stood down as Home Secretary in September after Liz Truss came to power, and has remained on the backbenches under Rishi Sunak's premiership.
Andrew Marr believes Britain will strike deals with more countries after Rwanda policy ruled lawful
Read more: Controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, High Court rules
Her replacement Suella Braverman has been vocal in her support of the Rwanda scheme, saying that it was her "dream" to see a flight take off.
