Immigration expert Rob Bates has hit out at what he branded “absolute drivel” from the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission following her intervention on migration.
The research director at the Centre for Migration Control accused the EHRC boss of being “completely out of touch” with public opinion after she urged Britain to remain bound by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson urged politicians to stop criticising illegal arrivals, warning it could make life “very, very difficult” for ethnic minority citizens.
She also drew ire for saying European human rights courts “protect all of us” and urging politicians not to push to quit the ECHR.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Bates took issue with her comments and said: “I think actually Keir Starmer has got a lot to answer for by appointing this woman, because, of course, before she was in this post, she was actively pushing for the country to take more asylum seekers.
“The whole crisis at the moment is about reducing the numbers, and she was actively there on the frontline, pushing for us to open our borders even more.
“Look, I think most people in the country will be asking themselves: who is this woman?
“What is the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and why is she being given such a platform to spout absolute dribble when she is so far removed from public sentiment on this issue
Rob Bates blasted the ‘absolute drivel’ in a furious rant
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GB NEWS
“I frankly think she is irrelevant, and I think it is incredibly insulting that we still have a political system that elevates individuals such as this, who are wedded to a political paradigm and a set of views that have been really, really outdated for the last 20 years or so.
“I would note as well that the Human Rights Commission has done absolutely nothing to address the hundreds of thousands of young British girls who were raped by Pakistani grooming gangs.
“She’s done nothing. It’s done nothing. When it comes to the murders of Wayne Broadhurst or Rhiannon White by illegal migrants, or the rapes and sexual assaults of young British women and girls up and down the country, they don’t seem to care about the human rights of British people.
“It only seems to matter when there is an opportunity to tug at the heartstrings of a very small liberal sect in this country and claim that migrants are being demonised.
Dr Stephenson began her role as chair of the EHRC earlier this month | EHRC
“No, they’re not. What we are talking about here is a very clear set of facts: foreign nationals are over-represented in certain types of crime.
“We see people arriving on small boats with the intent to commit terror acts. These are facts.
“This is why people are increasingly concerned not just about illegal migration, but about legal migration as well.
“These kinds of interventions do absolutely nothing to shine a light on what is a very important issue.
“She talks about honesty, but hiding behind the myths she seems to be spouting about the importance of the ECHR does the exact opposite and injects mistruths into a crucial conversation.”
Ms Stephenson took up the role of chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission earlier this month.
The body oversees the enforcement of rights protected under the Equality Act.
Speaking for the first time since her appointment, the senior civil servant pushed back against demands to quit the ECHR, insisting it remains “really important”.
Responding to the comments, a Downing Street spokesman told The Sun the Government wants to “help those in genuine need, whilst keeping out people who pose a risk to public safety”.
He added: “We have a long and proud history of welcoming migrants, but equally we must restore control and order a system that we’ve inherited that is clearly broken.
“And that is why you’ve seen some of the most sweeping reforms in a generation from this Home Secretary.”