Policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is ‘dead and buried’, Prime Minister confirms

Labour’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, confirmed at this time that he considers the previous Conservative authorities’s coverage of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is ‘useless and buried’.

Starmer was requested in a press convention this afternoon whether or not the Rwanda scheme was now useless and buried.

The Prime Minister replied: “The Rwanda scheme was useless and buried earlier than it began. It is by no means been a deterrent.

“Take a look at the numbers which have come over within the first six and a bit months of this 12 months. They’re file numbers. That’s the downside that we’re inheriting.

“It has by no means acted as a deterrent. Virtually the other, as a result of everyone has labored out, significantly the gangs that run this, the prospect of ever going to Rwanda was so slim, lower than one %, that it was by no means a deterrent.

“The possibilities had been of not going and never being processed and staying right here, due to this fact, in paid-for lodging for a really, very very long time. It is had the exact opposite impact and I am not ready to proceed with gimmicks that do not act as a deterrent.”

The Refugee Council welcomed the Prime Minister’s affirmation.

In a put up on X, the Refugee Council said: “We applaud the brand new PM on following via along with his dedication to scrap the Rwanda plan. All these caught in everlasting limbo must be quickly given a good listening to within the asylum system.”

Labour has mentioned that its substitute for the Rwanda coverage can be to arrange a brand new Border Safety Command to deal with the organised, prison gangs behind the small boats crossing the Channel. The brand new Dwelling Secretary, Yvette Cooper, mentioned yesterday that establishing the brand new Command could be one in every of her first two precedence duties upon taking workplace.