Badenoch says many migrants crossing the Channel are not ‘refugees’ | News

Speaking to LBC, the Conservative Party leader said: “I think most of these people should not be here. They are not refugees. They are people who see our country as a soft touch and they are exploiting our kindness.”

However, research by the Migration Observatory shows that the UK imposes a higher threshold for asylum applications than many EU countries.

Government figures also show that 61 per cent of people who arrived illegally by boat and applied for refugee status were ultimately granted asylum.

Independent Contacted Ms Badenoch for comment.