Suella Braverman says Britain has had ‘too much’ immigration as she hits back at ‘slurs’ from the left

BRITAIN has had “too much” immigration, Suella Braverman declared last night as those crossing the Channel have “overwhelmed our asylum system”.

The Home Secretary launched a full-throated defence of the PM’s flagship new policy – and vowed not to back down in the face of “slurs” from the left.

She insisted the “compassionate and generous” British public were not “bigoted or xenophobic” to want to control the numbers of people coming here.

Ms Braverman hit back against “grotesque slurs” from “out-of-touch lefties” who believe that “someone’s skin colour should dictate their political views”.

She insisted: “It’s perfectly respectable for a child of immigrants like me to say that I’m deeply grateful to live here, to say that immigration has been overwhelmingly good for the United Kingdom, but that we’ve had too much of it in recent years, and uncontrolled illegal migration is simply bad.

“I won’t be patronised by what appropriate views someone of my background can hold…. and I will not back down.”

Brits are “proud” of welcoming thousands of refugees from around the world, and after the small boats are stopped ministers will look again at more safe and legal routes, she added.

Only those at huge risk of harm or under 18s will be able to avoid being removed from the UK under the tough new laws, the Home Secretary said.

But she confirmed that families and children may face being detained and removed – in case ministers accidentally “create incentives for the smugglers”.

Last night Tory MPs threatened to rebel on both the left and right of the party.

Ex-minister Chris Skidmore said he couldn’t vote for the new bill, saying he was “not prepared to break international law” to stop the boats.

But a string of MPs on the right of the party are calling on them to go even further and leave the hated European Convention on Human Rights altogether.