Tom Swarbrick baffled after caller suggests migrants should serve time in Britain's forces
8 March 2023, 21:51 | Updated: 8 March 2023, 21:52
Tom Swarbrick baffled by caller suggesting army training for migrants
Tom Swarbrick labels a caller's idea "rubbish", after they suggest migrants should serve in the army in return for "receiving a British passport".
Tom Swarbrick was baffled by this caller, Mike in Dorset, who suggested that the government should put immigrants arriving by small boats "through the army" so "they can go back and fight against the people who have oppressed" them.
He explained how his plan would work: "If we're short of numbers in the police or the army, part of the condition of receiving a British passport is that you do a term in the army.
"Then once you've got enough numbers up you could then use those numbers and send them back to the countries where they're suffering this persecution."
The caller's plan went on: "They can fight for their own country then, under the British or UN flag. If you come here and you're put into the army, you could go back and fight against the people that had oppressed you in the first place. Get your home country back together."
Mike asked Tom: "What do you think to that?"
To which Tom replied: "Absolute load of rubbish."
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This exchange came after the government's announcement on Tuesday that anyone found to have entered the country illegally will not only be removed from the UK within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.
Suella Braverman told MPs the Illegal Migration Bill will "stop the boats" which are bringing "tens of thousands" of people to the UK.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, she said "there are 100 million people" who would qualify for asylum under the current law.
