Rwanda government reacts to Starmer's decision to axe deportation flights as smugglers boast of how easy it is to cross
The Rwandan government has reacted to Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to axe deportation flights
Getty/PA
The Rwandan government has reacted to Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to axe deportation flights, as people smugglers brag about how easy it is to cross the Channel.
The new Prime Minister scrapped the scheme - which he branded as a “gimmick” - hours after entering No10.
The money spent on flights to Kigali - which was an integral part of the Conservatives’ plan to stop small boats crossing - would instead be used to pay for a new Border Security Command (BSC).
The Rwandan government said in a statement on Monday night: “Rwanda takes note of the intention of the UK Government to terminate the Migration and Economic Development Partnership Agreement, as provided for under the terms of the treaty passed by both our parliaments.
The Rwandan government has reacted to Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to axe deportation flights
PA
“This partnership was initiated by the Government of the UK in order to address the crisis of irregular migration affecting the UK — a problem of the UK, not Rwanda.
“Rwanda has fully upheld its side of the agreement, including with regard to finances, and remains committed to finding solutions to the global migration crisis, including providing safety, dignity and opportunity to refugees and migrants who come to our country.”
Illegal migrants coming to the UK will instead go through asylum processing to get the right to stay, with new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vowing to “go after criminal smuggler gangs” by launching the BSC, which will involved basing more spies and investigators in Europe to track down the offenders.
Whilst Suella Braverman said the promise was simply more “blah, blah, blah”, people smugglers have welcomed the switch and boasted that it will now be easy to cross the Channel.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Suella Braverman said the promise was simply more 'blah, blah, blah'
PASura, a gang member who has claimed on his TikTok page that he can help people get into the UK, said that deportation flights to Rwanda were out of the question now.
In messages seen by The Sun, when asked by a potential customer if illegal migrants could get sent to Kigali, he replied: “No. Never, that’s it the British Prime Minister has changed.”
In another message, he gloated: “I am in the Dunkirk jungle myself now. If you like, I will charge you 2,000 (for 2 people).”
Addressing the nation from Downing Street over the weekend, Starmer said that the Rwanda scheme is “dead and buried”, adding: “I'm not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don't act as a deterrent.”
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman touring a building site on the outskirts of Kigali during her visit to Rwanda
PA
Rishi Sunak pledged at the start of 2023 to 'stop the boats'GETTYAfter sweeping to a historic victory at the polls, Starmer said his party had received “a mandate to do politics differently”.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said today: “We need to ensure that people who arrive here are processed so that people are not sitting in the system, housed in expensive taxpayer-funded hotels as they have been under previous administrations.”
The new BSC is planning to bring together officers from MI5, Immigration Enforcement, and the National Crime Agency, to stop the smugglers - which Starmer hopes will be regarded as similar to foreign spies and terrorists by intelligence officers.
New Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would be auditing the entire scheme which has so far seen £290million sent to Kigali.
Questioned on whether she would be trying to get a refund, she told LBC: “We are looking now, we are auditing the whole of the Rwandan scheme the Conservatives have set up.
“It's clearly been a complete con, we will se out next steps in due course. The most important thing right now is to get the Border Security Command in place.”