MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, responding to the Court of Appeal’s judgment
on the Rwanda scheme, said:
“Today’s judgment shows that has no plan to fix the Tories’
small boats chaos and his only idea is completely unravelling.
“Ministers were forced to admit this week that it will cost
£169,000 to send each person to Rwanda on top of the £140m of
taxpayers’ money they have already spent. Now the court has found
that ministers didn't even do the basic work to make sure the
scheme was legal or safe.
“Time and again, ministers have gone for gimmicks instead of
getting a grip, and slogans instead of solutions, while the Tory
boats chaos has got worse. The Rwanda scheme is unworkable,
unethical and extortionate, a costly and damaging distraction
from the urgent action the government should be taking.
“They should now put that money into Labour’s plan to go after
the criminal gangs, clear the asylum backlog and stop dangerous
boat crossings that are undermining our border security and
putting lives at risk.”
Ends
Notes:
Labour’s five-point plan to reform the asylum system:
1. Crackdown on criminal smuggler gangs, through
new Cross-Border Police Unit
A Labour Government would redirect spending from the unworkable
Rwanda scheme, which the government has admitted is subject to a
very high risk of fraud, to set up a new cross-border police unit
to crack down on smuggling gangs. This would include millions of
pounds of new investment in the NCA. Officers would be based in
the UK and throughout Europe to tackle the gangs upstream. This
would be supported with an urgent review to identify the gaps in
enforcement against smuggling gangs, with the findings used to
lay out an Action Plan to be delivered by the NCA and Border
Force, in collaboration with international allies and Europol.
2. Clear the backlog and end hotel use
The Home Office is taking 9,000 fewer asylum decisions a year
than they were in 2015, leaving people waiting in limbo for much
longer and pushing up accommodation costs. Fast tracking cases
for Albania and other safe countries, introducing triage and
restoring proper casework standards and targets will mean quicker
support for those who are refugees, much quicker returns for
those who are not, and stopping costly hotel use.
3. Reform resettlement routes to stop people being
exploited by gangs
Labour would redesign the existing resettlement schemes which are
not currently working properly so that they include a clearer
process for refugees with family connections in the UK to be
considered for resettlement, preventing them being exploited by
criminal gangs or making dangerous journeys.
4. New agreement with France and other countries on
returns and family reunion
Labour would negotiate a new agreement which includes safe
returns and safe family reunions.
5. Tackle humanitarian crises at source helping refugees
in their region
Labour would work in partnership internationally to address some
of the humanitarian crises that are leading people to flee their
homes including restoring the 0.7% aid commitment when the fiscal
situation allows and strengthening support for the people of
Afghanistan, currently the largest group trying to cross the
Channel.
