Sunak: Rwanda plan trumps ECHR seat
RISHI SUNAK has said his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is “more important” than membership of the a European Convention on Human Rights.
The Prime Minister, who has been under pressure from some MPS to commit to leaving the international agreement, told The Sun that immigration control and border security were more important than “membership of any foreign court” and they were “fundamental to our sovereignty as a country”.
Amid mounting speculation that an election could be called for early June, Mr Sunak declined to unequivocally rule out a ballot, repeating that his “working assumption” was that it would be in the second half of the year. Under the Tories’ Rwanda scheme, some asylum seekers arriving in the UK would be sent to the central African country to have their claims processed there.
Earlier this year the most senior judge at the European Court of Human Rights suggested the plan could fall foul of the convention.
Many of Mr Sunak’s backbenchers from the Right of the party want to see Britain come out of the deal to allow an independent immigration policy.
Speaking on The Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots show, Mr Sunak said: “I believe that our scheme, including the Rwanda part of it, all our plans to tackle illegal migration, are compliant with all of our international obligations including the ECHR … But I do believe that border security and making sure that we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court because it’s fundamental to our sovereignty as a country.”
Mr Sunak insisted progress had not stalled on stopping small boats carrying migrants across the Channel, despite a recent increase in the numbers, because his deal with Albania had seen thousands of people returned.
“I am determined to stop the boats and that is why the Rwanda scheme is so important,” he said. “It means clearly, if you come to our country illegally, you won’t be able to stay and we will be able to return you to either your home if it’s safe, but if it’s not a safe alternative, that’s when Rwanda comes in.”