A heated argument happened on GB News about the charity Care4Calais giving smartphones to refugees.
The charity asks people on their website to donate £50 to buy smartphones for refugees. This plan caused a big debate on GB News.
Carole Malone, a columnist for the Daily Express, criticized the charity. She said the charity helps migrants who take dangerous trips to find safety in Britain.
Benjamin Butterworth, a political commentator, defended the charity. He said having a phone is a “human right” and argued against the criticism. Malone argued back, saying, “Security experts think these phones will be used for illegal activities and will make more people come here. We need to pay attention to this. Care4Calais has been stopping the Government’s efforts to fight illegal migration for a while. They have helped stop the deportation of people who later hurt others.
“This is not what a charity should do. Remember, last year, the Charity Commission found evidence of improper payments and misconduct.
“This group is not just a charity; they are politically motivated activists pretending to be humanitarians. They have anarchist beliefs and hate all laws. They don’t want any borders and are helping people come here illegally.”
Butterworth responded, saying refugees have had to leave their homeland and families, making a desperate trip across the Channel. “That is incredibly traumatizing,” he said before Malone interrupted him angrily. “If you’re going to be disrespectful, I won’t continue talking,” he said.
Aman Bhogal from Global Britain UK called Butterworth’s claims “nonsense” and told him to be serious about the issue.
Butterworth continued, “These people have left their families and loved ones. Imagine the horror they are going through. It is very cruel to oppose them having something that could let them contact their parents or children on the other side of the world.
“That’s what a mobile phone means today. It’s the 21st century.
“A smartphone is a human right, and access to the internet is a human right because you can’t function without it nowadays.”
Carole Malone argued that migrants often “throw away” smartphones in the Channel to avoid being identified. Butterworth denied this claim.
