Priti blasts ministers as thousands earmarked for Kigali flights vanish
DAME Priti Patel has savaged ministers after it emerged thousands of migrants earmarked for flights are missing.
Only 2,143 out of the 5,700 people identified for removal to the east African nation “continue to report to the Home Office and can be located for detention”, official documents show.
It means officials are unable to locate 3,557 migrants due for Rwanda deportations.
This is linked to an IT blunder that left thousands of migrants unaware of the outcome of their asylum claims, as letters were sent to the wrong addresses.
The confusion came because the Home Office uses two different systems – one for the £49 weekly allowance paid to asylum seekers, and another to make the decision on their status. Dame Priti insisted that more detention sites were needed at an earlier stage.
She said: “Removing to Rwanda those who have come to the UK illegally is a vital measure to protect our borders and disrupt the business model of evil people-smuggling gangs. “To support our removals plan and the Rwanda partnership, the Government should have been increasing the number of detained sites and Greek-style reception centres, which were in the plan I developed as Home Secretary.”
Dame Priti said new detained centres were needed instead of non-detained sites such as Wethersfield, Essex.
She added: “I know ministers are now looking to increase detained capacity as well as implementing the Nationality and Borders Act measures.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins stressed yesterday that the Home Office was “used to” dealing with ayslum seekers failing to report and had “a range of measures” to track them down.
Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said the situation “exposes the total lack of grip the Conservatives have over the asylum system”.
IT’S official – Europe is now following Britain’s lead on Rwanda. The European People’s Party, the largest political grouping in the EU Parliament, has added third-country asylum deals to its manifesto for June’s European Elections, with the pledge: “Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there.”
Furthermore, the preeminent member of the EPP is none other than EU chief Ursula von der Leyen – you couldn’t have a better endorsement than that for those Europhile Rwanda sceptics! It follows hot on the heels of the UK Parliament passing the Rwanda bill last week, paving the way for the deportation of the first asylum seeker to the central African country on Monday night.
Illegal immigration is a panEuropean problem and many countries are looking to the UK for a workable solution.
In fact, populist anti-immigration parties are expected to do very well in the European elections as voters align themselves with pro-active parties, while centrist ones who do nothing prepare to take a sizeable hit at the ballot box. Right-wing nationalist parties in France, Germany and Italy are gaining widespread support from those fed up with the apparently unstoppable waves of migrants forcing their way into the EU, who expect to be looked after ahead of those who apply through legal channels.
AS CITIZENS have long understood, even when it’s fallen upon the deaf ears of politicians, it’s simply not fair for all those waiting patiently in line.
Perhaps that’s why senior politicians have finally stepped up. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last week became a candidate in the EU elections for her ruling party Brothers of Italy, even though she theoretically cannot do both if she wins.
But the turning tide against this assault on European values has found the greatest momentum in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has demanded “consequences”, after thousands of extremists called for an Islamist state within Germany last weekend. German citizens have been especially shocked by criticism of their support of Israel recently, a subject that is understandably sensitive, bearing in mind their past.
Many nations are concerned about preserving their tolerant, liberal ways. Denmark has long been exploring the concept of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. Early last year, they’d negotiated for a Danish reception centre in Rwanda, urging the EU to support the scheme.
Surely now Ursula von der Leyen has signed off on this proposal, official EU backing cannot be far off? Especially if anti-illegal migration parties triumph this summer.
Austria is also keen to work with the UK and last year signed a Rwanda-style migration and security agreement with ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, through which Austria would offshore asylum seekers. “We will continue to make a consistent effort for the EU Commission to advance and enable such procedures outside of Europe,” said Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner.
Even left-leaning Scholz, the German Social Democrat Chancellor, promised last year to consider the processing of asylum applications abroad. His nation’s proposals included reviving the 2016 EU-Turkey deal – which helped halt the flow of migrants into Greece – and setting up alternative agreements with other African nations, such as Senegal.
Critics of Tory migration plans always like to portray Britain as standing alone when it comes to Rwanda, but this is simply not true. Other European nations will rush to adopt similar schemes if we make this work.
It is vital that Rishi Sunak gets planes up and flying this summer. If he leaves it to the incoming Labour Party to enact, it will never happen and we will have given up our leadership on this matter.
LEFTIES are always keen for the UK to take a leading role with their pet projects, but when it comes to a clear-cut issue like this, they pretend we stand alone.
The pressure brought to bear by enormous numbers of illegal migrants – at least 380,000 irregular border crossings were logged in 2023 – is fully understood by sensible politicians who see that doing nothing will only encourage more extreme parties within the EU.
Extremism aside, the impact on our infrastructure, including housing, hospitals and schools, is only too clear to see.
Rishi Sunak is to be congratulated for pushing through the Rwanda bill but he must stay the course, because there are too many other countries looking to us to make this a success.
‘Other European nations will rush to adopt similar schemes’