Home Secretary James Cleverly arrives in Rwanda to sign new asylum treaty
James Cleverly has come to Rwanda with the intention of signing a fresh agreement in relation to the government's proposal for providing shelter to refugees.
Rishi Sunak's goal is to ensure the agreement to transport migrants who enter the UK by unconventional methods to Rwanda is legally sound after the Supreme Court invalidated the plan.
Following the decision made on November 15, the government claimed that they had already been devising alternative solutions and pledged to finalize an agreement with Rwanda within a few days. They also assured that urgent laws would be brought to parliament as a measure of precautions.
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According to Mr. Cleverly, Rwanda has a strong concern for the wellbeing of refugees. He is excited to engage with colleagues and formalize the agreement.
The official in charge of domestic affairs declared that Rwanda poses no risks to the safety of people. Consequently, efforts are being made quickly to establish a collaboration to cease the movement of boats and prevent deaths in the process.
The highest court acknowledged that modifications might be implemented to tackle the findings they arrived at - and that is precisely what we intend to achieve collectively, through this fresh, globally acknowledged covenant.
Rwanda places great importance on the protection of refugee rights, and I am excited about the opportunity to meet with colleagues to formally approve this agreement. Additionally, I am eager to engage in further conversations on how we can collaborate to combat the worldwide issue of unauthorized immigration.
There are rumors circulating that Rwanda is aiming to secure additional funds in addition to the £140 million already pledged to the project.
According to The Sunday Times, Kigali is set to receive an additional payment of £15 million in order to negotiate new terms for their agreement with the United Kingdom.
Discover more: What is the plan of the Rwandan government?
During the COP28 climate negotiations in Dubai on Friday, Mr. Sunak had a meeting with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. However, he did not reveal any further details about how much additional funding he would allocate to ensure the project's success.
The spokesperson for the prime minister's office at 10 Downing Street stated that there was no request made by Rwanda for extra cash, and therefore the mentioned amount of £15m was not something that they recognized. Additionally, the UK government did not offer extra funding for the treaty.
There were rumors that lawyers from Britain might be positioned in the courts of Rwanda to solve worries of the Supreme Court. The court's decision stated that there was a high possibility of individuals being deported despite the legitimacy of their asylum applications, which is a violation of global regulations.
However, Yolande Makolo, the spokesperson for the government of Rwanda, stated that the proposal was not at all being considered.
According to her, there are clauses that state that nobody who has been relocated to Rwanda can be forced to leave.
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Yvette Cooper from the Labour party claimed that the government is not making any progress with the Rwanda scheme. According to her, Mr Cleverly is the third home secretary who has traveled to the country with the intention of supporting the deportation program. She views this as a mere publicity stunt and not a genuine effort to solve the problem.
She expressed her desire to put an end to perilous boat ventures as they are jeopardizing the safety of people and weakening border protection measures.
This indicates that we must take action against the criminal groups that are profiting greatly from these risky boat trips.
Instead, it feels like a recurring situation where the UK government keeps sending a new home secretary to Rwanda with a checkbook, reminding us of the movie Groundhog Day. This has now happened for the third time in less than two years.
The visit of Mr Cleverly follows his presentation of his plan in the House of Commons yesterday. His plan outlines five ways to reduce legal immigration, such as forbidding care workers from bringing their relatives to the UK and increasing the minimum salary necessary for a skilled worker visa to £38,700, which will be effective from the upcoming spring.
Discover further information on Sky News: Conservative party experiencing greater loss of 2019 supporters to Reform UK compared to Labour. Nervous backbenchers urge intervention concerning internet immigration.
Government assurances have failed to convince Tory backbenchers.
The development project in Rwanda seems to be moving forward - or at least that is the impression the authorities want to give.
Home Secretary James Cleverly has arrived in Kigali today to finally sign the highly anticipated treaty with the government of Rwanda.
However, do not be deceived, the government is still facing challenges.
On Thursday, Parliament is set to introduce emergency legislation. However, right-wing Conservative Party members are doubtful about the effectiveness of the legislation. They are still feeling frustrated.
Despite the bold proclamations made by the government regarding immigration, conservative Members of Parliament remain unimpressed with the assurances given by the Home Office.
According to a Tory MP, their fellow politicians are frustrated that the five-point strategy revealed yesterday to reduce legal immigration levels wasn't announced earlier, so its effects could have been observed before the upcoming election.
Beforehand, Mr. Cleverly claimed that the Rwanda policy - deemed as the government's most important plan - was not the final solution. Later on, he will hold a press conference and is likely to showcase the triumph of the following measure in the government's collaboration with the nation.
However, there is only a single aspect.
In the Westminster area where he resides, his substitute, Robert Jenrick, has been deviating from the prepared speeches.
Yesterday, the Home Secretary was interviewed by Sky News's deputy political editor Sam Coates. During the conversation, the Home Secretary did not reject the possibility that the government might have given up its 2019 manifesto promise of reducing net migration to less than 250,000 before the upcoming election.
During his appearance on Sky News Breakfast with Kay Burley today, Mr Jenrick, who was representing the government, affirmed his dedication to the manifesto promise.
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In an interview with Sky News earlier today, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, expressed confidence that the government could fulfill its promise of reducing net migration below 250,000 by the next election. This is despite the fact that the current figure stands at a historically high 745,000 in 2022.
When asked if the government's recent announcement of new measures would be enough to reach their goal of 229,000, Mr. Jenrick acknowledged that reducing net migration is a top priority for both himself and the government. He stated that if more needs to be done to achieve this goal, the government is willing to take additional actions.
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Mr. Jenrick, who is known for his tough stance on migration, stated in an interview with Sky News that he believes flights to Rwanda will take place before the upcoming election. This is different from what some of his colleagues, including the chancellor, have said, as they have expressed uncertainty about whether or not deportation flights to Rwanda will occur next year.
