The first illegal migrants set to be removed to Rwanda have now
been detained, following a series of nationwide operations this
week.
Operational teams within the Home Office have been working at
pace to safely and swiftly detain individuals in scope for
relocation to Rwanda, with more activity due to be carried out in
the coming weeks.
The action is a key part of the plan to deliver flights to Rwanda
in the next nine to eleven weeks.
This activity forms yet another major milestone in the
Government's wider plan to stop small boat crossings, which we
reduced by more than a third in 2023.
The Rwanda policy will deter migrants from making perilous
journeys across the channel by showing clearly that, if you come
here illegally, you cannot stay.
Home Secretary
said:
“Our Rwanda Partnership is a pioneering response to the global
challenge of illegal migration, and we have worked tirelessly to
introduce new, robust legislation to deliver
it.
“Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly
detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights
off the ground.
“This is a complex piece of work, but we remain absolutely
committed to operationalising the policy, to stop the boats and
break the business model of people smuggling
gangs.”
Home Office Director of Enforcement Eddy Montgomery
said:
“Our specialist operational teams are highly trained and fully
equipped to carry out the necessary enforcement activity at pace
and in the safest way possible.
"It is vital that operational detail is kept to a minimum, to
protect colleagues involved and those being detained, as well as
ensuring we can deliver this large-scale operation as quickly as
possible.”
The Home Office has increased detention capacity to more than
2,200 detention spaces, trained 200 new caseworkers to quickly
process claims and has 500 highly trained escorts
ready.
Commercial charters have also been booked and an airport has been
put on standby.
Rwanda has proven time and again its ability to offer asylum
seekers a chance to build new and prosperous lives with
accommodation, education, training and employment. The country
has a strong and successful track record in resettling people,
hosting more than 135,000 refugees, and stands ready to accept
thousands more who cannot stay in the UK.
The government's Safety of Rwanda Act and internationally binding
Treaty reaffirm and ensure the safety of Rwanda and this policy.
The Treaty responds directly to the Supreme Court's findings in
December, by strengthening Rwanda's asylum system to ensure no
one will be returned to an unsafe country after relocation.
Building on the Treaty, the Act confirms that Rwanda is a safe
country for the purposes of relocation.
ENDS
Notes
· The Safety of Rwanda
(Asylum and Immigration) Act became law on 25 April 2024, meaning
the Government can now enter the final phase of operational
planning to get flights off the ground to Rwanda.
· The Act builds on the
objectives set out in the Illegal Migration Act 2023, Nationality
and Borders Act 2022, and the measures set out in the New Plan
for Immigration, as part of a wider strategy to tackle illegal
migration.
