Britain's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced he will scrap the controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a policy initiated by the previous Conservative government in 2022. This policy, which aimed to deter migrants arriving in Britain without permission by relocating them to the East African nation, faced extensive legal challenges and never came into effect.
At his first press conference since his landslide election victory, Starmer criticized the Rwanda plan for its ineffectiveness, stating that it would only have impacted about 1 percent of asylum seekers and failed to serve as a deterrent. Starmer emphasized the need to move away from "gimmicks" and focus on more practical solutions.
Starmer, who now holds the most significant parliamentary majority since Tony Blair, faces the challenge of addressing public service issues and revitalizing the economy. While he did not provide detailed plans, he highlighted his commitment to taking early and tough decisions, including potentially addressing tax issues, to tackle problems such as the overstretched prison system and long waiting times in the state-run health service.
The Prime Minister plans to establish "mission delivery boards" to prioritize areas like health service improvement and economic growth.
The topic of asylum seekers crossing from France was prominent during the six-week election campaign. Critics of the Rwanda policy argued that it was immoral and unworkable, while supporters believed it could disrupt people smuggling operations. Despite the UK Supreme Court ruling the policy unlawful, the Conservative government had attempted to sign a new treaty with Rwanda and pass legislation to override the court's decision.
Starmer's administration will focus on creating a Border Security Command, combining efforts from police, intelligence, and prosecutors, to combat people smuggling.
The announcement to scrap the Rwanda plan has been welcomed by many organizations, including Freedom from Torture. CEO Sonya Sceats praised Starmer for closing the door on what she described as a "shameful scheme" that exploited the lives of people fleeing torture and persecution.
