Rishi Sunak said he is prepared to ignore further such rulings by the ECHR aimed at preventing deportation to Rwanda, Jack Brereton writes
Jack Brereton is Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent South
The Safety of Rwanda Act becoming law is an important step forward in delivering the proper deterrence that's needed to stop those attempting to enter the UK illegally. But this was despite continual efforts by Labour and the Lib Dems to torpedo the whole policy.
Sir Keir Starmer has been very open that he will scrap the whole policy immediately even if it is delivering and deterring people crossing the Channel.
Following their latest photoshoot, the only thing we have learnt is that they would rather have open borders, give an amnesty to illegal migrants, and ignore genuine concerns from the British people.
It is essential we now see the full operationalisation of the Rwanda policy and those flights taking off.
It is very positive to see the deterrence already starting to have an effect with Dublin fuming from the challenges we have been having to confront for years.
The Republic of Ireland cannot expect us to take back asylum seekers if France will not agree to the same in return.
We all know France has no real interest in doing so, despite the fallacies of some who suggest this is the magical solution.
Both British and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have increasingly made judgments on cases of illegal migrants, prisoners, or terrorists, who claim their human rights are being infringed.
This is an abuse of our democratic system and the sovereignty of our elected House of Commons to deliver on the will of the British people.
We must ensure that any further attempts to thwart us in delivering proper deterrence, by lefty lawyers who profiteer out of human misery, must be resisted.
The urgency for greater deterrence cannot be underestimated to avoid further loss of life in the Channel.
But this is not only about the immediate issue of illegal migration, we are also seeing increasing frictions in the fundamental functioning of our democracy and the future direction of our country. The ability to secure our borders and for the Government to deliver on a democratic mandate is increasingly under question.
People, in areas like Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, continue to raise justifiable concerns about the tensions in communities whether through pressures on services, on housing or on the culture of their area.
This is why it is so vital that every option must remain on the table. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been robust in his stance on any further attempts by the ECHR to intervene, saying he is prepared to ignore further such rulings aimed at preventing deportation to Rwanda.
Whilst it has always been my hope that we do not have to leave the ECHR, events this year have driven me to the conclusion it is likely we have little other option.
It would be difficult to disagree with many of the aims ECHR stand for, but so critical are the challenges faced, we are left with no other choice, and the UK should be prepared to leave ECHR.
Since the UK left the EU in January 2020, we have been taking advantage of our Brexit freedoms, whether this be forming new trade deals or taking back control of our own laws to ensure they serve the British people.
Despite those constantly talking down an independent UK, we have proved them wrong at every stage and will continue to do so.
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As we did in voting to leave the EU in 2016, we should take our next brave step in our efforts for an independent Kingdom from foreign powers.
Whilst we shouldn’t see this alone as the silver bullet, as we know those attempting to resist Rwanda will use any means necessary, we must also continue to take on those frictions within our own domestic legal system which the new Act seeks to address.
As I’ve called for, we must also take further steps to strengthen deterrence over and above Rwanda.
This includes further boosting detention capacity as well as developing additional schemes with other third countries.
Only once the risks of detention and deportation are higher will we properly be able to deter illegal migration.
