The home secretary visited immigration centers as she tackled the migrant crisis amid threats of legal action, allegations of sexual assault at a hotel housing asylum seekers and international criticism of her use of language.
The Home Secretary shunned the media as she visited the Western Jet Foil site in Dover – the site of Sunday’s petrol bomb attack – amid concerns over a rise in far-right activity fueled by a failure to control the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.
Arriving in heavy rain, accompanied by a large group of staff, she spent about half an hour showing the facility where migrants are first taken after arriving on the south coast, and briefly boarded a docked patrol boat.
She then met with Dover Coastguard before flying to Munston on the Chinook, a decision protected Downing Street as it turns out, a helicopter flight costs about £3,500 an hour.
Ms. Braverman spent about two hours at the site, exiting through a side gate away from the press gathered at the main entrance.
The Fareham MP said: “I wanted to see first-hand how we work to reduce the number of people in Munston, support the people there and thank the staff for all their efforts.
“I am incredibly proud of the skill and dedication shown to deal with this difficult situation on a daily basis. This is a complex and challenging situation that we must address on all fronts and seek innovative solutions.”
During the visit, several coaches were seen leaving Manston, including one with children on board waving and making peace signs from the window.
Ms Braverman has come under increasing political pressure over the illegal conditions at the site near Ramsgate, where at one point around 4,000 people were held for weeks in a facility designed to hold 1,600 for days.
