The Government has been urged to explain why it has not scrapped the Rwanda Act, which remains on the statute books months after Sir Keir Starmer said the plan was “dead.”
In a question tabled in the Lords earlier this month, Lord Kempsell asked whether Labour intended to repeal the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 and, if so, when.
Labour’s Lord Hanson replied that the Home Secretary had set out “the government’s position in respect of the Illegal Migration Act” in July.
“Any legislative plans flowing from the statement will be set out in the normal way in due course.”
But Lord Kempsell accused Labour of hiding the real reason behind the law remaining on the books.
“For all the Government’s criticism of the Rwanda policy, they have not actually abolished it yet, leaving the Rwanda Act legislation on the statute book. There must be a reason for this.”
He added: “Once again, the Government’s real intentions are only revealed by digging them out in Parliament.”
The Home Office did not respond when contacted for a response to Lord Kempsell.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was highly critical of the Rwanda plan, but in power Labour has yet to rule out replacing it with a different third-country plan.
Labour cancelled the scheme in one of its first acts after taking office on July 5.
The Government says it is going to tackle small boat arrivals through its new Border Security Command, going after the people smuggling industry and trafficking gangs.
More than 24,000 migrants have reached Britain on small boats so far this year, with almost half of them arriving in the 11 weeks since Labour came into power in July.
Cooper did not mention the Rwanda plan or deportation strategies in her speech at the Labour Party conference this morning.
Tony Smith, former Director General of Border Force, told GB News that he still expected Labour to repeal the Rwanda Act and the treaty with Rwanda.
He added that there are sections of the Illegal Migration Act that Labour might want to keep which do not affect Rwanda.
In particular, he pointed out the powers to seize and interrogate mobile devices and to use scientific methods to assess age.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, told GB News: “As pressure grows, they will be forced to consider some form of off-shoring. So far, they’ve appeared unprepared and naive.”
He added: “On immigration — legal and illegal — the PM, Home Sec and her ministers are proving to be out of their depth and out of touch. They won’t smash the gangs and the boats will keep coming in droves. Our only line of defence is inclement weather.”
