According to reports, Rishi Sunak had serious reservations about the government’s plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda while he served as chancellor.
According to the BBC, there are documents indicating that the current prime minister believed that hotels were a more cost-effective option than reception centres. It was also reported that he expressed concerns about the expenses involved in the Rwanda program.
According to reports, the No 10 papers were dated March 2022, which is one month prior to Boris Johnson’s announcement of the plan.
Sunak has encountered dissatisfaction from Conservative Members of Parliament regarding the proposals. In response to the revelation, Robert Jenrick, a former minister of immigration, stated in an interview with Sky News that he is willing to propose amendments to enhance the safety measures of the Rwanda bill.
According to the BBC, the papers disclosed that the chancellor also aimed to begin with smaller numbers, planning to send only 500 individuals to Rwanda in the program’s first year instead of the originally suggested 1,500.
According to the statement, he suggested a reduction to “3,000 instead of 5,000 in years two and three”. It was noted that he held the belief that the “deterrent would not be effective”.
Sunak is facing pressure to justify his recent asylum law in Rwanda while also trying to maintain unity within the divided Conservative party and prevent any threats to his position as prime minister.
According to the documents, it was suggested by No 10 that Sunak take into account his popularity with the base when considering the Rwanda plan. It was also noted that Sunak was hesitant to allocate £3.5m a day for “Greek-style reception centres” to accommodate migrants and instead favored using hotels.
According to a source close to Sunak, the BBC was informed that “The prime minister was always in complete support of the idea of the scheme serving as a deterrent.”
As the chancellor, it was his responsibility to ensure that it was successfully executed and that public funds were used appropriately.
It has been revealed that the program’s cost has increased by over two times to £290 million. The Home Office has acknowledged that they have paid an additional £100 million on top of the initial £140 million to Rwanda, and an additional £50 million will be given.
According to a government official, Rishi, in his role as chancellor, provided funding for the Rwanda program and made it a key part of his 10-point plan the month after becoming Prime Minister.
“He is currently enacting the Rwanda legislation in light of the recent decision from the highest court, in order to facilitate the commencement of flights. This makes him the first prime minister to successfully decrease small boat crossings by 36% in the past year.”
Yvette Cooper, the opposition party’s spokesperson for home affairs, stated in an interview with the BBC that the current prime minister was aware of the plan’s exorbitant cost and its ineffectiveness, and had opposed it while serving as chancellor.
However, he is extremely feeble and has now consented to issuing cheques worth £400m to Rwanda without dispatching a single individual there, in a last-ditch effort to bolster his leadership.
Sunak has promised to persist with the strategy of transporting migrants to Rwanda, even though the UK supreme court has deemed it illegal.
On Tuesday, he stated, “My main goal is to follow through on my promise to prevent boats from arriving and to initiate flights to Rwanda.”
There is news regarding certain Tory Members of Parliament and their involvement with the documents. Jenrick, who resigned last month, expressed to Sky News that the bill does not adequately address the issue and stated, “If we make a promise to do whatever it takes [to prevent the boats], we must follow through and that includes strengthening the bill.”
I am hopeful that Sunak will improve the bill currently being debated in parliament. I have made it clear that if he does not do so, I will propose changes to the bill next week. These changes are necessary to ensure that the legislation is strong enough to fulfill the expectations of the British public.
Starmer has accused Sunak of providing hundreds of millions of pounds to Rwanda without receiving anything in exchange, following the signing of a deportation agreement. The opposition leader claimed that Rwandan president Paul Kagame was well aware of the prime minister’s actions beforehand.
Labour has urged Sunak to be transparent with the public by making public the documents referenced by the BBC which suggest he may have had doubts about the Rwanda program.
Labor officials have expressed the belief that the Prime Minister should be transparent about his hesitations towards the Rwanda plan during his time as Chancellor.
Cooper stated that Sunak has joined the ranks of other high-level Conservatives in expressing doubt about the effectiveness of the government’s proposed plans.
Previously, Cooper proposed that James Cleverly, who was later transferred to the Home Office, privately referred to the Rwanda policy as “batshit”. He claimed he did not recall using that term.
During a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Labour pledged to pressure ministers into disclosing the complete expenses associated with the east African deportation program.
Cooper stated that the government’s Rwanda plan is increasingly apparent as a deceitful scheme that will not solve the chaotic state of immigration under the Tory party.
It is evident that the home secretary, who was previously the immigration minister and is now the prime minister, does not have confidence in the effectiveness of the government’s plans.
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“The public deserves honesty from the Tory government. They should release both the papers detailing Rishi Sunak’s concerns and the complete breakdown of the scheme’s expenses.”
The prime minister will soon ask his backbench MPs, who are divided and doubtful, to vote in favor of a Rwanda scheme that he does not seem to have faith in and has not disclosed the associated expenses.
Instead of continuing this expensive performance, they should consider implementing Labour’s proposal to target criminal smuggling organizations, discuss improved security measures with Europe to enhance border protection, and establish a new unit to facilitate the prompt removal of individuals who are not legally allowed to be in the UK.
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This report was contributed to by PA Media.
Source: theguardian.com
