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Rishi Sunak claims the influx of migrants arriving in Ireland in small boats shows the Rwandan government’s plan is working.
Ministers plan to send asylum seekers who come to Britain on one-way flights to the East African country in a bid to stop other refugees crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Michael Martin said on Friday (26 April) that Britain’s asylum policy is causing migrants to fear they will be forced to cross the border from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland and into Rwanda. said.
In an interview with Sky News Sunday Morning with Trevor PhillipsThe full episode will be broadcast on Sunday, but the prime minister was challenged on whether Britain was simply exporting its problems.
In response, he said: “The deterrence…is already having an effect because people are worried about coming here.
“My focus is on the security of the UK and our borders.
“But this comment shows a few things.
“One is that illegal immigration is a global challenge. That’s why multiple countries are talking about entering into partnerships with third countries and looking for new ways to solve this problem. But I believe we will follow the UK’s lead.”
“But what it also shows, according to your comment, is that deterrence is already having an impact because people are worried about coming here, which is exactly what I said. It shows that
“If people come to our country illegally and know they can’t stay, they’re much less likely to come. That’s why Rwanda’s plan is so important.”
The law ensuring the plan is legally sound, the Safe Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, was approved by parliament this week and signed into law on Thursday.
Downing Street yesterday rejected claims that the Rwanda plan was already having an impact on migration to Ireland, saying it was too early to jump to conclusions about its impact.
Mr Martin, who is also Ireland’s foreign secretary, said: “Clearly we are seeing an increase in the number of people coming into the Republic from Northern Ireland.” And the Rwanda policy is pretty clear that if you’re a person in a certain situation in the UK, you don’t want to go to Rwanda – and I hasten to add that it’s not like no one has done it yet.
“So I think this is a fair comment on my part. There are a lot of other issues, but it’s not trying to condemn anything in any way.”
But a No. 10 spokesperson said: “It is too early to jump to concrete conclusions about the impact of the Act and the Convention on the behavior of migrants.”
“Of course we will be monitoring this very closely and we are already working very closely with the Irish Government, as you can imagine, including on issues around asylum.
“But, of course, the intent behind this law is for it to act as a deterrent, and that’s why we’re working to get aircraft off the ground as quickly as possible.”
Mr Sunak acknowledged this week that flights could still be 10 to 12 weeks away, missing his original goal of having them in the “spring” of this year.
Irish ministers indicated earlier this week that the number of migrants crossing the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is increasing.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee told a committee in the Irish Parliament that the number of people arriving from Northern Ireland is now “more than 80 per cent”.