Theresa May brands Trump’s child prisons ‘deeply disturbing’ but refuses to cancel summer visit
2 min read
Theresa May today branded Donald Trump’s child detention centres “deeply disturbing” and “wrong” but said his visit to the UK next month will go ahead as planned.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May blasted the US President after shocking images emerged of young immigrants being separated from their parents and detained in warehouses on the US's southern border.
However, Mrs May also stressed that Britain and America’s "special relationship" would continue and confirmed that Mr Trump will still visit the UK on 13 July, when he will meet the Queen and go to Chequers.
She said: "The pictures of children being held in what appear to be cages are deeply disturbing. This is wrong.
"This is not something that we agree with. This is not the United Kingdom's approach. Indeed - when I was Home Secretary I ended the routine detention of families with children."
Pressing the Prime Minister to revoke Mr Trump’s invitation to the UK, Labour MP Gavin Shuker said: "If I can summarise what we have just heard: President Trump has locked up 2,000 little children in cages and is refusing to release them unless he's allowed to build a wall.
"He's quit the UN Human Rights Council, praised Kim Jong-Un's treatment of his own people, turned away Muslims. What does this man have to do to have the invitation she's extended revoked?"
But Mrs May replied: “It is right that we are able to sit down and discuss those [issues] with the President of a country with which we have had a long-standing and will continue to have a long-standing and special relationship."
The SNP's Westminster Leader Ian Blackford slammed Mrs May's "disappointing" stance on the controversial visit by the controversial US commander-and-chief and said the Prime Minister should instead be "unreservedly condemning the actions of Donald Trump".
‘IMMORAL’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday branded the scenes on the US border “shocking” and “immoral”.
He said: “It is tragic and shocking to see innocent children caged like animals and to hear their cries of anguish after being forcibly separated from their parents.
“It is immoral and goes against fundamental human rights we must always respect, no matter the situation.”
Earlier this week the White House defended the policy, with US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen telling reporters that America was a country of “compassion” and “heart”.
Asked why children were being separated from their families, she replied: “This administration did not create a policy of separating families at the border...
“Parents who entered illegally are by definition criminals... By entering our country illegally often in dangerous circumstances, illegal immigrants have put their children at risk.”
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