On 13 March, the Government announced that thousands of asylum seekers and refugees attempting to enter the UK will be sent to Rwanda for processing. The Prime Minister said this is an attempt to gain back control of UK borders and end the illegal people smuggling across the English Channel.  

I disagree, this scheme will not deter people traffickers and instead will make it harder to find and prosecute those who traffic individuals. I am deeply concerned about these plans and the increased risks it presents. 

The Home Secretary claims the system is ‘broken’ and ‘collapsing’, but the Government has been in charge of immigration for 12 years. This is a Government failure. There has been a lack of decision-making in the Home Office and now they plan to push the decision-making to Rwanda. 

Asylum processing rates have become increasingly slow, with the Home Office taking half of the asylum claims as it did five years ago. This is doubling the backlog and driving the cost up, as they wait longer for a decision. 

The plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to undergo processing is unworkable, unethical, and a shameful attempt to distract from the Prime Minister’s law breaking.

I had the opportunity to question the Home Secretary about this issue. You can watch it here.  

This is also predicted to cost millions to the taxpayers. The initial £120 million spent will not include sending individuals abroad or their stays – where will this money come from? The working class are already feeling the squeeze and the Government must be transparent about the cost to the taxpayer. 

I will not support this decision and will continue to speak about the harms it presents to those seeking refuge in the UK.