Labour will repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act, which Rishi Sunak staked his reputation on, as part of its new plans to tackle illegal migration and small boat crossings
Rishi Sunak’s “dangerous” Safety of Rwanda Act will be torn up by the Government
Labour says it will repeal the controversial legislation, which Rishi Sunak staked his reputation on at the start of last year. The Tories forced through a law declaring Rwanda was a safe country despite warnings that it was on the brink of conflict with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Last year The Mirror revealed Government officials secretly drew up contingency plans for the outbreak of war in Rwanda – even as Tories voted it was a safe country. Mr Sunak’s legislation – which was pushed through to get around a Supreme Court ruling in order to send asylum seekers there – opened up a deep divide within his own ranks.
The law declared that Rwanda was a safe place to send people to, despite the findings of top judges. It has remained on the statute books since last year.
The Act will be repealed under Labour’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which has been presented to MPs today. It comes as the crisis in the region worsens.
In recent days Rwandan-backed militias have seized control of the city of Goma, sparking fears that a conflict could escate. South Africa has threatened to intervene, prompting Rwandan President Paul Kagame to accuse it of working with enemies and “threatening to take the war to Rwanda itself”.
The Act’s repeal has been welcomed by campaigners. Sile Reynolds, Head of Asylum Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: “In a vital win for hundreds and thousands of caring people up and down the country, we’re delighted that the Prime Minister has kept his promise to close the door on this shameful ‘cash for humans’ scheme once and for all.
“For the survivors who suffered needlessly under the threat of being sent to an unsafe and unknown country, the harm it had on their mental health is impossible to imagine. Now, they can finally draw relief that neither this Government, nor any future government, will be able to speed them onto planes to Rwanda.
“In repealing the abhorrent Safety of Rwanda Act, the Government has shown that it can take decisive action to undo some of the damage done by the previous government’s anti-refugee agenda. We know that more than 80% of the British public want a fair new plan for refugees. It’s time for the Government to repeal the disastrous Illegal Migration Act, and the worst elements of the Nationality and Borders Act and replace with good law that supports an efficient, fair and compassionate asylum system.”
The Act was passed in desperation as Mr Sunak tried to salvage his agreeement with the African nation. This saw £700million of UK taxpayers’ money handed over to Rwanda, despite only four volunteers agreeing to move there.
In a brutal Parliamentary battle, former Tory Home Secretary Ken Clarke told peers he was “completely flabbergasted” by Mr Sunak’s attempt to resurrect the project after it was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. The Tory grandee, who was Home Secretary and Chancellor under John Major and Health Secretary in Margaret Thatcher’s Government, branded the latest Bill “preposterous”.
Lord Clarke went on: “I think it sets an extremely dangerous precedent. For that reason, I very much hope that there will be a legal challenge which will enable the Supreme Court to strike it down as unconstitutional in due course. But the better step would be for Parliament not to pass the legislation in the first place.”
