The Prime Minister has insisted his new Rwanda legislation “blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights” and claimed going any further would mean “the entire scheme will collapse”.
Rishi Sunak made the announcement at an emergency press conference this morning.
The decision comes after the Prime Minister suffered the blow of the resignation of Robert Jenrick as immigration minister last night, while former home secretary Suella Braverman told warned the prime minister that his new Rwanda policy was "doomed to fail".
Rishi Sunak issued a defence of his new Rwanda legislation and claimed it prevents every reason that has been used to prevent flights taking off under the stalled plan.
I’m blocking the reasons used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off.
This emergency law is the only way to make Rwanda work and control our borders. pic.twitter.com/jH0iaODZGw
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 7, 2023
The Prime Minister said: “Today the Government has introduced the toughest anti-illegal immigration law ever.
“I know that it will upset some people and you will hear a lot of criticism about it, so it’s right to explain why I have done this.”
At a Downing Street press conference, he added: “This Bill blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off.
“The only extremely narrow exception will be if you can prove with credible and compelling evidence that you specifically have a real and imminent risk of serious and irreversible harm.”
He said failing to recognise that would “undermine the treaty”, adding: “If we go any further the entire scheme will collapse and there is no point having a Bill with nowhere to send people to.”
What is the new proposed Rwanda bill?
The draft Bill unveiled on Wednesday compels judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country after the Supreme Court ruled the scheme was unlawful over risks to refugees.
The legislation, which must be voted on by Parliament, gives ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act.
But it does not go as far as allowing them to dismiss the European Convention on Human Rights, as hardliners including Mrs Braverman have demanded.
What did Suella Braverman say?
Mrs Braverman declared that “ultimately this Bill will fail” as she took to the airwaves to attack the plans of the Prime Minister who sacked her as home secretary last month.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that in the “very litigious field” of asylum law “the reality is and the sorry truth is that it won’t work and it will not stop the boats”.
Tweaks to the Rwanda plan will not be enough to get people on the plane to the East African nation, Mrs Braverman said, adding that the new legislation would still allow legal claims that could block flights and “clog up the system”, potentially for years.
“We can’t do half measures. We have to totally exclude international law – the Refugee Convention, other broader avenues of legal challenge,” she said.
Mrs Braverman, who said on Wednesday that the Conservatives faced “electoral oblivion in a matter of months” if they fail on the Rwanda policy, denied the Tories have a “death wish”.
But she said they are in a “very perilous situation”.
“The time for talk, the time for slogans and promises is over. We need to show delivery and that’s what this debate right now is all about,” she added.
She insisted she wants the Prime Minister to succeed, despite describing him as “weak” and “uncertain” in a scathing attack on his leadership after he sacked her.
But she said Mr Sunak would have to change course if he wants to lead the party into the next election.
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