The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Minister admits he can’t prove if the Rwanda scheme will curb crossings
A Home Office minister was unable to point to any calculations that the government’s Rwanda relocation policy will reduce the number of people arriving in the UK via small boats.
Tom Pursglove, minister for justice and tackling illegal migration, told MPs it was “logical” that by striking at the business model of people traffickers, the number of people crossing the Channel would decline.
When asked by the Home Affairs Committee what modelling was used to give the “evidence base for this decision”, the minister replied: “This is a new and untested policy at this point in time.
“I do think that in the fullness of time we will see this policy, as part of a wider package that we are introducing, really shift the dynamic.”
The scheme announced last month by Home Secretary Priti Patel will see the UK pay for asylum seekers who are deemed to have arrived on its shores “illegally” to be sent to Rwanda, where their claims will be processed.
If successful, they will be granted asylum or given refugee status in the country.
Dan Hobbs, director of asylum, protection and enforcement at the Home Office, pointed to a similar policy being utilised successfully by Australia.
He told the committee yesterday: “We did look at where other countries have done this. Australia, as part of their wider package of their sovereign borders programme, did it.
“They have had no illegal maritime crossings since 2014, so there is evidence out there.”
Pressed on whether his answer meant there was UK Government modelling the committee could read, Mr Hobbs replied: “No, you can do some assumption modelling as part of evidence and to assess numbers.
“But defining the individual impact and the individual decisions of migrants is extremely complicated.”
Stepping in, Mr Pursglove added: “I think it is only logical to assert that if you cut off the business model of these evil criminal gangs, then that will materially make a difference in terms of people making these crossings.”