Who is Robert Jenrick, the Tory contender who wishes to restrict visas for Indians?

The race to replace Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has reached its final stage, with four contenders in the running — Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat.

However, it seems that this race is now being closely watched by India as one of the contenders, Robert Jenrick has vowed to severely restrict visas to those from countries that refuse to accept the return of illegal migrants, and singling out India in this matter.

Who exactly is Robert Jenrick? What is his stance on immigration and what did he say about Indian immigrants?

We have the answers.

Jenrick’s stance on India

On Sunday (September 29), at the launch of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Robert Jenrick raised the issue of immigration and singled out India, saying that the country should be subjected to tough visa restrictions.

Speaking on the issue of migrants entering Britain illegally, he said, “The government must stop other countries exploiting our generosity.”

“It is time to play hardball with these countries and refuse to issue visas until they agree to take back their citizens who are living illegally in the UK,” he said.

He pointed out that while India benefited from 250,000 visas in 2023, around 100,000 Indian nationals are believed to be living in the UK illegally. Jenrick lamented that despite an India-UK Migration and Mobility Partnership, deportations of illegal migrants remain limited. He further criticised India’s slow response in taking back its nationals who entered the UK illegally.

Data reveals that of the 22,807 illegal migrants that were removed from the UK last year, 15 per cent (3,439) were Indian. Jenrick says under his plan, total removals will reach more than one lakh per year.

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Besides India, Jenrick also targeted Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Ethiopia. He claimed that these countries were not accepting returns despite receiving millions in aid from the UK.

Jenrick and immigration

Jenrick’s remarks on India aren’t wholly surprising. Since entering the race, the 42-year-old who served as Rishi Sunak’s immigration minister for a year, has made migration his main plank. He was criticised in August for saying police should “immediately arrest” any protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar”, the Arabic phrase that means God is great.

He would also like parliament to set a binding cap on migration with the hopes of reducing overall migrants.

Moreover, Jenrick extends support to quit the European Convention on Human Rights, saying: “I believe our people and Parliament must be sovereign.”

“I believe that anyone who comes here illegally must be deported within days. I believe that ending mass migration won’t be plain sailing. But we must do it.”

He has pledged to resurrect the Rwanda scheme in which people who the UK identifies as illegal immigrants or asylum seekers would have been relocated to the African nation for processing, asylum and resettlement.

Many have criticised Jenrick’s stance on immigration, terming him as “very Right-wing”. However, he remains firm on the fact that his views represent the mainstream and are the same as held by millions of others across the country.

However, many point out that Jenrick’s stance on immigration has seen a 360 turn. When he joined the Home Office in 2022, he was seen as a centrist. But in 2024, he has become a known voice for the Right, demanding tougher measures on the migration crisis. This has led some, including Anna Soubry, a fellow Tory to say, “He trims his sails to suit whichever political wind is blowing within the Conservative party.”

Life and times of Robert Jenrick

Jenrick’s reversal on migration has led many to ask who exactly is Robert Jenrick and what he stands for.

Born in Wolverhampton in 1982, Jenrick studied history at St John’s College, Cambridge and after university, worked as a solicitor for the Skadden Apps and Sullivan and Cromwell firms, in London and Moscow. He then moved into business, becoming an international managing director of the auction house Christie’s.

However, in 2010, he took the political plunge and stood as the Conservative candidate for Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Unfortunately, he lost that election. It was in 2014 that he contested the by-election in Newark, Nottinghamshire and won.

In January 2018, he became a minister in the Theresa May Cabinet. Eighteen months later when Boris Johnson took over from May, he promoted Jenrick to secretary of state for housing, development and local government, making him the youngest member of the Cabinet. He, however, was sacked two years later after finding himself in the middle of planning and COVID-19 rows.

He returned to the front bench as a health minister during Liz Truss’ short stint as prime minister, before taking on the immigration brief under Rishi Sunak’s leadership. A report in The Guardian notes that Jenrick was appointed as he was a loyalist who could keep an eye on the then troublemaking home secretary Suella Braverman. A Tory leader said that he had a much more informal relationship with Sunak than Braverman did.

However, the ties between the two deteriorated and soon Jenrick started echoing Braverman’s stance on migration. In April, he was quoted as saying that uncontrolled migration “threatens to cannibalise” British compassion and that the “lifestyles and values” of people arriving via small boats over the Channel threatened social cohesion. A few months later, he also received flak for ordering the removal of a mural or cartoon characters inside an asylum seeker reception centre to welcome children.

Last December, he quit the Sunak Cabinet, accusing the then-British prime minister of not going far enough on immigration.

Will Jenrick and his strong anti-immigration stance resonate within the Conservative party? The answer will be revealed on November 2.

With inputs from agencies