Civil workers who reject Rwanda’s migrant policy and plan to strike should quit, according to Jacob Rees-Mogg.
It comes after the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents over 16,000 Home Office and Border Force employees, stated that if members are forced to adopt measures they believe are illegal, they will “consider” taking strike action.
The PCS previously threatened judicial review after refusing to cooperate with Priti Patel, the former home secretary, on plans to employ Border Force jet skis to turn back migrants seeking to cross the Channel.
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It seems to me that you can’t go on strike as a civil servant if you don’t like Government policy.
“You have to resign, and any civil servant who claims to strike on the basis of opposition to government policy who doesn’t resign should be fired.
“This is not like going on strike over pay or conditions or anything like this.
“It’s a fundamental opposition to the whole basis of our Constitution that has an apolitical civil service.
“Any Home Office civil servant who fails to carry out the lawful instructions of the elected government should be fired.”
Home Office workers have previously spoken out on their opposition to Suella Braverman’s aim of detaining and deporting anyone arriving in a dinghy.
Additionally, a Home Office spokesman said: “Our staff work tirelessly to deliver ground-breaking policies, such as the Illegal Migration Bill. This will reform our immigration system and stop the boats, while still remaining party to the European Convention on Human Rights.
“We have always maintained that the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership is lawful, including complying with the Refugee Convention, and last year the High Court upheld this. We stand ready to continue to defend the policy against legal challenge.”