The North Down MP was speaking after the High Court in Belfast ruled provisions of the Illegal Migration Act should be disapplied in Northern Ireland as sections undermine human rights protections here under the Windsor Framework.

“I welcome the High Court ruling today and congratulate the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for taking this case. Over recent years, I have been highlighting how UK immigration policy has contradicted human rights protections in Northern Ireland” he said.

“It is encouraging the Windsor Framework and behind it the Good Friday Agreement itself are protecting Northern Ireland from the UK Government’s horrible immigration legislation over the course of this Parliament. This ruling will hopefully have implications for the appalling Rwanda Act.

“The UK Government should now repeal both Acts, and put in place an alternative, humanitarian policy for dealing with migration based on the provision of more safe and legal routes, faster processing of asylum claims, and better focus on integrating refugees into our economy and society.

“Ultimately, we need to challenge and change the toxic narrative that has grown around immigration and refugees over recent years. Migration is a global reality, yet relatively few migrants are coming to the UK and Ireland, as opposed to the rest of the world.

“We need to move away from the politics of setting people against each other and invest in better public services for all, and permit refugees to work and pay tax.”