Mr. Tugendhat is one of six contestants vying to succeed Rishi Sunak, with the election scheduled for November.
The Times, which was able to get a recording of Mr. Tugendhat speaking to the Chelsea and Fulham Conservatives association on August 14, was the first to report on his most recent remarks.
The publication quotes Mr. Tughendhat as saying: “The Kremlin and its proxies are weaponizing human trafficking, which is causing thousands of deaths.” The UK needs to be just as committed and determined to combating this vile trade as we were in the fight against slavery.
Our military must be actively combating this menace.
Deaths in the Sahara, Mediterranean, and Channel demonstrate the cruel nature of human traffickers.
Humans are used by [Vladimir] Putin’s puppets by smuggling them into Belarus and then forcing them across the border into NATO nations like Poland and Lithuania.
In order to protect ourselves and stop this terrible trade, we must unite with our partners and defend Europe’s land and maritime borders by sending military and naval forces.
“In the struggle against those who violate our borders and traffic in people, we need resolute leadership. As the minister of security, I ordered work to be done in order to fight the traffickers as part of a planned, intelligence-driven strategy.
