Italy has managed to slow migrant flows by building a wall on its border with Turkey and having it patrolled by drones. The statement of the conservative MP Suella Braverman, former Secretary of State for the Interior, famous for her extreme positions against migrants, has sparked irony and controversy in the United Kingdom.
Speaking on LBC radio, the Tory leader said: “Italy has strengthened its borders. They have built a wall. I went to see that wall. They have built a wall on the land border between Italy and Turkey. They have drones. They have armored vehicles. They have soldiers.
Suella Braverman tells LBC that Italy have “built a wall” on the “land border between Italy and Turkey” and insists that “I went to see” it pic.twitter.com/HU2g3SlHFs
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) January 2, 2025
He teased him
Braverman was mocked on X, with users wondering how she managed to go and see a wall on a border that couldn’t possibly exist. “Suella Braverman claims she was at the land border between Italy and Turkey and saw a wall! A remarkable claim given that the countries are not neighbors!” wrote author Sunder Katwala.
Writer Tim Brannigan simply posted a photo of a map with Italy and Turkey circled, clearly showing that they are not close. Other users joked that Braverman should retake his high school geography exam and wondered how he became Interior Secretary.
The fix
Braverman herself was later forced to admit she had made a mistake. “Of course, I was referring to Greece’s land border with Turkey, which I had the honor of visiting. It was a great success!”, he wrote on X.
Great to join @LBC this morning.
Thanks for all your great calls. Good discussions on small boats, Israel and Labour’s education policies.
Catch up on @GlobalPlayer
And, obviously I meant Greece’s land border with Turkey which I was honored to visit. It’s been very… https://t.co/JutbiSJj6i
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) January 2, 2025
