‘Has Rwanda turned “safe” after the Home secretary’s visit there?’ | UK News
It’s not looking so good for the Conservatives’ Rwanda asylum plan.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak held an emergency meeting in Downing Street this morning to double down and defend his pledge to ‘stop the boats’, less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled the Central African nation as unsafe.
Despite a freshly inked treaty with Rwanda, the bill hasn’t had the warmest of responses from the public or his party with former immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigning yesterday.
Read on to see what readers think about this issue, among others.
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Is Rishi Sunak getting his just deserts?
Prime minister Rishi Sunak is getting his just deserts – from the rather unlikely quarter of Robert Jenrick, who has resigned as immigration minister (Metro, Thu). This is for proposing the Rwanda Bill, which gives ministers the right to override some human rights law. Jenrick said the bill ‘does not go far enough’.
Among other things, the bill will set a bad precedent. It could also be the creation of a slippery slope that will lead to other groups being in effect ‘outlawed’.
This has to be an occasion when those concerned with fundamental rights recall Lord Steyn’s observation in 2005 (in Jackson v Attorney General) that there may, in fact, be a limit to parliamentary sovereignty and that it cannot simply override the courts.
Hopefully, while Tory MPs scrap among themselves, the whole wretched project will be ditched. Andrew McLuskey, Ashford, Middlesex
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‘The Tories are happy to dehumanise immigrants and use their labour’
The Rwanda policy is just more nonsense being fed to the public to satiate their hatred for the ‘other’ while addressing none of the issues. The poor sods who will be rerouted to Rwanda on their travels are but a drop in the bucket when it comes to the migration numbers.
The Tories are happy to dehumanise them while in the same breath facilitating the cheap labour that comes in here for their big-business buddies. Josh, North London
Home secretary James Cleverly is hoping that the new Rwanda treaty will lead to plane-loads of illegal migrants being deported to Rwanda (Metro, Wed).
I have news for him: the Supreme Court is unlikely to allow it to happen, having last month deemed Rwanda not a safe third country to send migrants to. What part of ‘not a safe country’ does Cleverly not so cleverly understand? Scott, West London
Should the Prime Minister call a general election?
Well, Jenrick, you’ve gone and done it for Corporal Sunak. He was floundering in the already troublesome water and now you’ve put one below his waterline.
But the situation is well beyond Corporal Sunak’s capabilities. Surely he could see that cobbling together a half-baked plan with Private Cleverly was never going to get off the ground, let alone put poor souls at the mercy of the Kigali regime.
Frankly, it’s time to be the grown-up in the room and call a general election. The gravy-trainers in the Commons need to get out at the next station and seek a proper mandate to start again. They are fed up and the country is fed up. Even the so-called illegals have had enough.
Corporal Sunak, tell your wife to get things ready for an extended vacation in America. Anyone disagree? Tony B, Thailand
The minority middle-class woke brigade have little to lose if the Rwanda policy gets dragged back through the courts, unlike the majority of taxpayers who don’t have access to a private pension or private health.
Using the courts is a stealth infringement on my voting rights. The sooner this is understood by the general public, the better. I wonder if and when Labour are the government they too will have decisions of the court block their ambitions. Time will only tell. Paul, West Midlands
‘That treaty might not be worth the paper it’s written on’
The government is hoping that former home secretary Suella Braverman’s ‘dream’ to see a flight take asylum seekers to Rwanda will soon come true. However, has Rwanda now turned ‘safe’ following Cleverly’s visit there to draw up a treaty?
I don’t think so for one minute. Treaties are not necessarily legally watertight. Our trade treaty with the EU after Brexit was almost completely torn up by Boris Johnson in a fit of pique.
The same could easily happen with any treaty between the UK and Rwanda. The treaty might not even be worth the paper it’s written on. Al, Charlton
In defence of Slade’s Christmas classic – plus Harry’s false sense on his security
Greg (MetroTalk, Thu) says he hates Slade’s Christmas classic Merry Xmas Everybody. I couldn’t disagree more – it’s got a wicked, almost anti-Christmas, vibe. With Noddy Holder, you certainly feel the noise! Jim, London
Sacrilege, Greg, to slate the great Slade. Noddy and the boys won’t be happy. Slade, along with Wizzard, Greg Lake and one or two others, are listed treasures. The untouchables, if you like. I’ve never understood the popularity of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. It’s cheesier than a large bag of Wotsits. Dec, Essex
Greg says Merry Xmas Everybody is an abomination. Disgraceful! Hearing Noddy yelling out ‘It’s Christtttmaaass’ at the end is as important a yuletide tradition as crackers, turkeys and great aunt Edith falling asleep during EastEnders. Heather, Blackpool
Alice (MetroTalk, Thu) used to think a line in Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer was ‘Olive the other reindeer’ rather than ‘All of’. I often think Abba are singing ‘Feel the beat from the tangerine’ rather than ‘tambourine’ in Dancing Queen. Joe, Brighton
So Harry the entitled one thinks his level of protection in the UK is ‘unfair’ (Metro, Wed). I happen to think his life of luxury and privilege is also unfair. Life’s unfair, pal – it’s about time you paid for your own protection. Darren, Edinburgh
When a Hollywood star arrives in the UK, does the state pay for their security? If they pay for it themselves, surely Harry (formally known as Prince) should pay for it himself. Glen, Rainhill
MORE : Rishi Sunak holds emergency press conference over Rwanda policy crisis
MORE : Prince Harry says UK can’t be home for his children ‘if they can’t be kept safe’
MORE : Home Secretary signs fresh treaty with Rwanda in bid to revive asylum plan
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