JAMES Cleverly has told bishops who are trying to stop him tackling people smugglers with his Rwanda plan: “This is evil being done. I’m trying to do something about it.”
The Home Secretary is facing the wrath of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby — who branded the scheme to fly illegal migrants to the African nation the “opposite of the nature of God”.
The Church of England’s most senior cleric has formed an alliance with Labour and left-wing peers to try to torpedo the legislation with wrecking amendments.
But the plan is meant to be a deterrent for illegal migrants, preyed upon by people smugglers who charge them thousands to risk their lives crossing the Channel.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun on Sunday, Mr Cleverly is unwavering in his mission to pass the law and get the flights going.
The alternative is more lives lost in the treacherous Channel waters.
Hitting out at people-smuggling gangs, he said: “This is evil being done. I’m trying to do something about it.
“For those people who disagree with how I’m going about it, I get that. But where’s the alternative plan? These are people smugglers. These are criminals. They are perpetrating an evil.
“Bishops talk about good and evil. We’ve got to do something about it.”
Challenging his critics, he added: “For those people who are blocking or attempting to block the Rwanda Bill, unless they are able to put forward some credible alternative as a deterrent, they should let me deploy this alongside the other things we are doing.”
Sitting in his government office, Mr Cleverly said he accepted that bishops in the House of Lords had different opinions on policy.
But issuing a stark warning, he added: “There is nothing honourable, there is nothing righteous, about removing one of the tools to break criminality.”
He will not “entertain wrecking amendments” to kill off the Bill, declaring: “It is far, far too important.”
His attack is his fiercest yet on bishops trying to block it.
But he saves his biggest tongue lashing for Sir Keir Starmer.
The Labour leader has vowed to rip up the deal if he wins the general election and becomes PM.
Mr Cleverly accused Sir Keir of trying to hoodwink people by pretending he was tough on borders.
He said: “They are attempting to perpetrate a con on the British people. They are talking tough but, when push comes to shove, they are voting against every measure to tighten our borders.
“British people can see it is a con and can see through it.”
The Rwanda Bill is returning to the House of Lords in a week and Mr Cleverly is braced for a fresh onslaught of attacks.
But that is only one of the challenges he is facing.
Violent crime is once again under the spotlight after a spate of knife killings and the Clapham chemical attack.
Police forces must get back to basics by putting bobbies on the beat and following up with reports and lines of inquiry, he warned.
Meanwhile, he is under massive pressure from his own party to slash legal migration, which has hit its highest level in history.
Statistics out earlier this week showed the British population would increase by 6.1million within 15 years due to mass migration.
This is the equivalent of the population of five Birminghams. Mr Cleverly conceded migration was too high.
He said: “We should look to British people for jobs in the British economy first and foremost.
“Having made sure everyone can make the most of their talent, if we still need specialists, of course, we have always relied on a degree of international labour.
“But the numbers we’ve seen in recent decades — and it certainly predates Conservatives in governments — that is not sustainable.”
He accused universities of bringing in foreign students on lower grades because they pay more.
The cash for courses scandal has fuelled concerns some foreigners are using our university system as a back door visa route.
He said: “Universities should be about providing education, not a short-cut through the immigration system.
“I’ve looked at the indications that there are very, very acute differentials in the offers between British and overseas students.
That looks to me like an over-focus on international students.”
Asked if universities were using foreign students as cash cows, he added: “If you’re looking British kids in the eye and say this course is worth three As, that should be the same conversation you have with kids from other parts of the world.”
Net migration hit 745,000 in 2022 — the highest level on record.
Many Tory MPs are furious at the number and terrified they will lose their seats unless it is cut.
Ministers last year introduced a crackdown on migrants coming to the UK and bringing their relatives with them — but they face growing Tory pressure to go further.
A large group of Conservative MPs have called for the graduate visa route to be ditched.
This lets foreign students stay for two years after their course finishes.
There are also demands for an annual cap on immigrants.
Mr Cleverly insisted rules imposed last year were working.
But he left the door open to new measures, saying: “If there are abuses, we will deal with them.”
POLICE need to get “back to basics”, Home Secretary James Cleverly has demanded.
Bobbies need to patrol the streets and officers must make sure they actually respond to all crime reports, he said.
He spoke out after police were criticised for failing to stop the Nottingham triple killer, Valdo Calocane.
Officers missed several chances before he stabbed 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar and 56-year-old Ian Coates to death.
Barnaby’s mum Emma accused police of having “blood on your hands”.
Mr Cleverly told The Sun on Sunday: “We have to make sure we are pursuing a policing system where those basics are delivered.
“Technology is important. An increase in police numbers is important but, ultimately, we’ve got to do the basics. We’ve got to execute warrants. We’ve got to pursue lines of inquiry.
“We’ve got to make sure officers are on the street, dealing with shoplifting, dealing with burglaries.”
Mr Cleverly was not commenting on the Calocane case as it was under investigation by the police watchdog. But he praised the “calmness and dignity” of the bereaved families, whom he met this week.
COMEDIAN Russell Brand should ask himself whether it was appropriate to do TV interviews about rape allegations against him, the Home Secretary said.
James Cleverly spoke after the star, 48, denied the claims and branded them “hurtful” in an American TV interview.
Police are investigating a string of sexual assault allegations.
Mr Cleverly said: “I think it’s for him and also the people booking him on those programmes to ask themselves whether this is appropriate.
“These are very, very serious accusations.”
