Priti Patel, the daughter of Indian immigrants who is behind the deportations to Rwanda

She is the Home Secretary in Boris Johnson’s government and is hell-bent on revamping Britain’s immigration system, even if that goes against her own background.

Born in London 50 years ago, his parents were immigrants originally from India who had moved to Uganda and fled to the UK in 1960 shortly before Ugandan dictator Idi Amin —known as the “Uganda Butcher”— expel all Asians from the country.

Already on the island, they established a chain of kiosks. But probably not even the relative business success of his family would have allowed Pratel’s parents to remain in the country with the current point immigration system devised by his daughter.

This is what she herself recognized, with a small mouth and after going around a lot, during an interview on the LBC radio network in 2020. “Under their rules you would not be here as a minister, right?”, journalist Nick asked her then. Ferrari. “Yes, but… it’s not the same,” replied Patel, a faithful defender of the Brexit slogan Take back control of our borders (Let’s take back control of our borders).

[144 millones por deportar migrantes: así es el acuerdo de Boris Johnson y Ruanda que condena la UE]

Graduated in Economics and Politics from the University of Essex, she has been a Member of the British Parliament since 2010. Armored in the toughest wing of the ToriesPatel is declared admirer of Margaret Thatcher and one of the most controversial members of Johnson’s cabinet. Before that, she served as Secretary for Employment under former Prime Minister David Cameron, who recruited her into her ranks in 2015.

From scandal to scandal

When the results of the Brexit referendum led Cameron to resign, Patel supported then-candidate Theresa Maywhich gave him the command of the Secretary of State for International Development (DFID), where he remained until 2017. In both positions, Patel was an uncomfortable figure.

first because her employees denounced her for workplace harassmentwhich led to a judicial investigation that concluded that Patel had intimidated (by shouting and insulting) public officials from various departments.

Second, because when he was responsible for DFID met off-the-record with senior Israeli government officials, then headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, without notifying anyone in the UK government, as indicated by protocol. those raids —or vacations, as claimed— led even the secret services of her country (MI5) to distrust her, as revealed The Times.

In 2011, Patel publicly supported the reintroduction of the death penalty in the UK.

Hence this latest scandal seemed his political undoing. In fact, she was forced to resign from her position. But far from sinking, Patel’s career took off when Johnson chose her for her team in 2019. Since then, she has promoted the controversial points-based immigration system for “end cheap and low-skilled immigration labor“, the migratory pact between Rwanda and the United Kingdom, and the extradition of Julian Assange.

All of them controversial points, but not as much as his opinion on the death penalty. In 2011, during a debate on the television program Question TimePatel publicly supported the reintroduction of the death penalty in the country.