COP28: Sunak says ‘crucial’ Rwanda scheme ‘will save us billions’ in long-term
Rishi Sunak has said the Rwanda deportation plan is a “crucial” policy and “will literally save us billions in the long-run”.
The Prime Minister insisted Britain was “united” on the plans to transport illegal UK arrivals via small boat crossings to the east African nation.
He said: “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: everyone’s patience is wearing thin.. my patience is wearing thin.. the country’s patience is wearing thin, we have to end this merry go round.”
Speaking to journalists on a flight out to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sunak refused to put an upper limit on what he was willing to spend on achieving the Rwanda policy.
Asked if there was a ceiling, the Prime Minister said: “We’re already, incredibly frustratingly for the British people and the taxpayer, spending billions to house illegal migrants in hotels.
“That’s not right, I’ve talked about it repeatedly, we have got to end that. And we’re not going to end that unless we can have a successful deterrent that stops people from coming here. Because that in the long run is the billions that we need to save.”
The Rwanda policy, first suggested by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and backed by right-wing Tories like Suella Braverman, was dealt a blow when the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful.
Sunak plans to sign a new treaty with Kigali and President Paul Kagame, and to bring in emergency legislation allowing MPs to deem the scheme safe, which has faced delays.
He told journalists the policy was “making progress” and that illegal crossings to Britain were down by a third this year, while vowing to address “domestic blockers” to flights taking off.
“I will not let a foreign court stop us from getting a flight off,” he said, when asked how far he would go in taking on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
“I am crystal clear we are in compliance with all those obligations and I know the government and the party are united… but also the country is united on this.
“We are doing everything right … we will bring forward this legislation, it will be crystal clear and then I expect to get this scheme up and running.”
Backers have urged Sunak to utilise tough “notwithstanding” clauses, which would mean judges can’t use the Human Rights Act and the ECHR in asylum cases.
However, lawyers have reportedly warned that option risks increasing legal challenges from migrants over whether their deportations are legal under Britain’s human rights obligations.