THE Home Secretary has accused the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of “undermining a democratically-elected government” after her plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was blocked last year.
During her appearances on various media outlets this morning, Suella Braverman was asked about her Rwanda policy and the prospect of people fleeing to the UK from the war in Sudan.
She said she wanted to avoid a “re-run” ahead of a debate in Parliament on Wednesday about an amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill which would give the UK Government powers to ignore the Strasbourg court’s rulings.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Braverman said if the bill is successful, they would “not put a limit” on the number of migrants they could deport to Rwanda.
She said: “If you look at Australia – once they were able to swiftly detain and remove people from Australian territory, their numbers of illegal arrivals fell dramatically in a relatively short period of time.
"There is no good reason for anybody to get into a small boat to cross the Channel in search of a new life in the UK."@SuellaBraverman is asked what will happen if people fleeing the war in Sudan attempt to cross the Channel. More: https://t.co/oLwydfQf16 📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/4kMNAXM8yk
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 26, 2023
“That’s why deterrence is a key ingredient. It is an uncapped scheme so we are not putting a limit on the number of people who can be relocated to Rwanda.
“We saw last year an unacceptable situation whereby the Home Secretary made a decision to relocate people to Rwanda and that decision was upheld in the courts, injunctions were refused by the English courts and, at the 11th hour, pursuant to an opaque process in which the UK was not represented, a judge in Strasbourg overruled that decision, undermining a democratically-elected government and a decision to take appropriate action.
“We have to avoid a re-run of that scenario. That’s why we have included measures in our Bill to afford the Home Secretary a discretion to consider the case upon its particular merits and circumstances.”
‘Values at odds with our country’
In a separate interview with LBC Radio, Braverman said that migrants coming to the UK across the English Channel in small boats “possess values which are at odds with our country” with “heightened levels of criminality”.
“There are real challenges which go beyond the migration issue of people coming here illegally. We need to ensure that we bring an end to the boat crossings.”
During an interview with Sky News, Braverman was also asked about the prospect of people fleeing to the UK from Sudan.
It comes as the UK continues to evacuate British nationals from the country amid escalating conflict.
Braverman said: “Our position in Sudan is that we are sorting British nationals, British passport holders and their dependents.”
Asked what would happen to those who arrive from Sudan, she said: “That’s why we are passing a new law at the moment. To deal with people who come here illegally.
“There is no good reason for anybody to get into a small boat to [go] in search of a life in the United Kingdom.
“If you are somebody who is fleeing Sudan for humanitarian reasons, there are various mechanisms you can use.
“The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is present in the region and they are the right mechanism by which people should apply if they do want to seek asylum in the United Kingdom.”
