Keir Starmer vows to reverse Rwanda policy even if Channel crossings decline

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Keir Starmer has vowed to scrap plans to forcibly remove asylum seekers to Rwanda even if the policy is deemed legal by the courts and such action reduces the number of unauthorised Channel crossings.The UK Labour leader was clear he would reverse the “hugely expensive” and “wrong” scheme which he said would only ever impact a very small proportion of migrants crossing the Channel.The Supreme Court will on Monday begin hearing the UK Government’s appeal against the ruling that the policy is unlawful as ministers struggle to achieve Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats”.Starmer was asked today if he would terminate the plans even if the judges approve it and small boat crossings then decline.“Yes.

I think it’s the wrong policy, it’s hugely expensive,” he told the BBC.“It’s a tiny number of individuals who would go to Rwanda and the real problem is at source.“You’re putting this to me on the basis that it’s working, we’ve been told by the Government time and again that even saying they’ve got a Rwanda scheme will reduce the numbers – that hasn’t happened.”Starmer said he would work with other countries to “smash the criminal gangs who are running this vile trade” of people smuggling.“As a pragmatist I want a pragmatic plan that is actually going to fix this problem, not rhetoric which has got this Government absolutely nowhere,” he added.The UK has already paid Rwanda £140 million under its asylum partnership announced in April last year – but not a single removal flight has taken off for the capital of Kigali yet.In June, Court of Appeal judges overturned an earlier High Court ruling which found Rwanda could be considered a “safe third country”, disrupting the key plan in the Prime Minister’s boats strategy.Home Office