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THE UK HOME Secretary has said she is “pushing ahead” with plans to send migrants to Rwanda after more than 900 crossed the Channel in four days.
Priti Patel said work was taking place “right now” with the East African nation’s government as the two countries roll out the deportation policy.
It comes as 907 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel between Saturday and Tuesday.
According to the Home Office, Patel discussed progress on the agreement in a meeting with Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta, before the pair travel to Geneva tomorrow for meetings with the UN’s refugee agency the UNHCR and other bodies.
Patel said: “We are pushing ahead with delivering this world-leading plan which epitomises the kind of international approach that is required to tackle an international challenge like the migration crisis.
“I look forward to meeting UNHCR representatives with Minister Biruta this week, as we continue the vital conversation on illegal migration and the importance of global cooperation.”
Since the start of this year, 8,697 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats, according to analysis of Government data by the PA news agency.
This is now more than the number recorded throughout the whole of 2020 (8,466), official Home Office figures show.
There were 285 people who made the crossing in seven boats on Tuesday, and 19 in one boat on Monday, 436 in nine boats on Sunday and 167 in 13 boats on Saturday, according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures.
Asked what she was doing now to curb Channel crossings while work on the Rwanda deal takes place, Ms Patel told the PA news agency: “These crossings are dangerous, put together by people smugglers who are just exploiting people that think that they can come to our country through these dangerous routes, and the point about the migration and economic development partnership that we have with Rwanda is actually about removing those who come to our country illegally and have no basis to be in our country.
“That work is taking place right now. Our discussions with my counterparts in the government in Rwanda are taking place right now in terms of our removal plans. We are operationalising that work right now, as the British public would expect, post the announcement of our plan last month.”
Speaking during a visit to a London fire station, Patel added: “But I think there is a really important message here from our Government that we will simply not tolerate people smugglers, the criminality that takes place, and do not forget as well in the last fortnight Parliament has passed the Nationality and Borders Act, as it now is, which has focused predominantly on going after the people smugglers, making sure that our legal processes absolutely go after those smugglers, but actually enable us as a Government and a country to remove those individuals with no legal basis to be in our country to a third country.”
Meanwhile Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton Kevin Hollinrake urged Boris Johnson to stop plans for an asylum processing centre in his constituency.
Raising the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions, Hollinrake said the plan will “devastate the community” in Linton-on-Ouse, with residents not feeling “safe to leave their homes alone”.
Johnson told the backbencher he heard his concerns “loud and clear” and there will be “further meetings” between him and the Home Office about what can be done.
It comes after North Yorkshire councillors said the Government department intends to move 60 asylum seekers into a disused RAF base by the end of the month, despite opposition from locals.
Hambleton District Council, which is seeking a judicial review of the plans, said it has asked ministers to pause the proposal “immediately”.
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At last a step in the right direction, pity the way it had to happen.
In July 2013 Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs #Francesfitzgerald when the
findings of the investigation following the absconsions from Gleann Alainn special care unit in
October 2011 will be available; if she will provide an update and a timeline for publication; and
if she will make a statement on the matter.
Minister #Francesfitizgerald said her department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE and I will provide the Deputy with the information as soon as it becomes available.
The findings of this investigation are still not available over 2 and half years later.
Minister Fitzgerald
Another quango. But one that is needed for a change. So why didn’t Shatter announce this earlier? Unless election sound bites.
Everything will change and nothing will change.
Looks like a scene from Cagney & Lacey. Appointing a new commissioner however should have nothing to do with gender. The intern commish is tainted by who trained her! We need a new outside Commish similar to the PSNI, if she gets the job it’s just a political stunt.
The acting Comm. has lost credibility through association and the senior rank she enjoyed in the force.
No doubt she was the good egg in a stinking basket at the top but we need an outside commissioner.
Agree. New (outside) commissioner required. Ms. O’Sullivan complicit in not taking action.
So that’s what Shatter had in mind post report. These are his proposals.
And they are excellent. Long overdue.
I’d note he resigned but there are a bunch of guards accused of pretty insane corruption or incompetence who haven’t been fired. Or even suspended. Or even talked about or criticised.
If he had come out with these at the time of GSOC or any other scandal in the last year from the force he would now be hailed by the public.
Instead we got huddling with Callinan, not dealing with the Penalty points openly, the way he treated McCabe and Wilson.
His own worst enemy in the end.
Of course the minister is going to express support for the commsioner. You can’t half support the head of your police force.
You either support him fully or fire him.
Paragraph 19.98
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Paraphrase: The Minister went no further in determining McCabe’s complaint than asking and receiving advice from one man, the man who was the subject of the complaint.
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Shatter is an exceptionally intelligent and diligent man. As so often in Ireland the deference to authority and to uniform, to good relations, trumped all reason and learning.
Shatter had enough grounds to fire him.
That Callinan did not even see the need to stand down earlier shows the mindset that leads to problems like this.
No one bar Shatter turned this from a potential triumph in to a a crisis that led to both he and the commissioner being thrown out.
Callinan had Shatter by the short and curlies. Eventually it was taken out of Shatter’s hand. So Callinan went. Shatter’s position was always on a knife edge.
The Department of Justice (?) needs a complete overhaul also. Will we see that ?
So many articles about one subject.
A Journal habit Saul. Surprised we don’t have an article to mark Gerry’s one week anniversary!
I don’t recall ever seeing a Garda Commissioner in public not wearing the full attire which comes with the position, as in the picture above. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I’m also not sure if I even care, but it’s making 5pm come that bit faster.
I like that Noirin O’Sullivan left the uniform at home.
It underlines the difference between a political meeting and an official Garda meeting. I hope to see a lot more separation of function.
That’s exactly what they wanted you to think Paul and it obviously worked! Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing!
I see she has taken on the obligatory grumpy face and serious tone and formal outfit.
I just threw-up a little bit.
Relax, women are now in charge. Sorted.
Their needs to be an absoloute separation between the minister for justice and the commisioner.
Right that’s it. As and from today I’m setting up an inquiry to find out why I’m still waiting for a job in this country. Wallace was correct on Ray D’arcy yesterday about the amount of non contract jobs. Do you think if I set up an inquiry I’d be paid? Oh that’s right I’d pay myself!!!!
Minister said: ” … the law is for everyone. And everyone is equally accountable before it. We will ensure that we have a fair and functional system where genuine allegations of wrongdoing are treated in an effective and accountable manner.”. Minister, thank you for seeing it.
Please clarify for us – does this include addressing offences committed in the past during “in camera proceedings” referring to past rapes, defilements, endangerments, abductions, torture, homicides and the like?
No, the corruption in the Child Abuse Industry will continue unabated for now. That’s the beauty of the secret courts and the in camera rule, “Hear No Evil, See No Evil So No Evil Exists” and crimes committed cant be reported or prosecuted because corrupt judges will jail you in secret for speaking out and trying to report crime to corrupt Gardai who wont investigate.
Exactly, and now with the old minister for children becoming the minister for Justice, a lot more will be hidden from the people.
With Ireland assimilating non Irish children into white Roman Catholic families, it is worrying as it an exact copy of Hitler’s regime, “in the best interests of the children” of course. Sweden also doing the same too.
have your say