Tory farce as James Cleverly becomes third Home Secretary to sign Rwanda deal

05 December 2023 , 10:22

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James Cleverly flew to Rwanda's capital Kigali in a desperate bid to save the costly deportation plan (Image: PA)

Tory migration plans have descended into a farce as James Cleverly became the third Home Secretary to sign a Rwanda deal.

The Cabinet minister flew to the country's capital Kigali in a desperate bid to save the costly deportation plan after the Supreme Court ruled it was illegal. More than £140million has already been handed to the African nation - despite not a single asylum seeker being sent there. Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel first signed a deal with Rwanda in April 2022 before her successor Suella Braverman extended the pact this year.

Speaking alongside Rwanda's foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta, Mr Cleverly claimed on Tuesday that the new treaty addresses "all the issues" raised by the Supreme Court. He said: "Your country has made a clear and unambiguous commitment to the safety of people who come here. That has been displayed and we have seen that in practice.

Pressed on whether the deal includes any new taxpayers' cash, the Home Secretary added: "Let me make it clear - the Rwandan government has not asked for and we have not provided any funding linked to the signing of this treaty. The financial arrangement which inevitably comes as part of an international agreement reflects the costs that may be imposed on Rwanda through the changes that this partnership has created in their systems: in their legal systems and their institutions. No money was asked for by the Rwandans for this treaty. No money was provided to the Rwandans for this treaty."

At a joint press conference Mr Biruta added: "I want to reaffirm that the people relocated to Rwanda will be welcomed and that they will be provided both the safety and support they need to build new lives. Rwanda looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom and to implementing this treaty."

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In a desperate attempt to get flights off the ground by spring 2024 controversial legislation attempting to bypass the Supreme Court ruling is also expected to be rushed through the Commons But it faces being scuppered by peers in the Lords.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This is now the third Tory Home Secretary to take a trip to Rwanda for a photo op in 18 months. More Home Secretaries than asylum seekers have been sent there and the scheme is badly failing.

"Already the Government has given Rwanda more than £140 million and they are refusing to come clean on how much in total this is costing or how they will ever make it work. All we know is that even if it ever does get off the ground, it will only cover a very small number of people when over 1,000 people arrived in small boats last week alone. This is just more Tory asylum chaos."

Natasha Tsangarides from charity Freedom from Torture added: "It's shameful that even after the highest court in the land unanimously found this scheme to be unlawful, the Government is nonetheless pursuing a new treaty with Rwanda. No amount of tinkering will change the fundamental fact that this 'cash for humans' deal is immoral. And it needs to be shelved once and for all".

It came as Tory disagreements over migration played out in the open with Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick going off script by suggesting a clampdown on legal migration announced on Monday did not go far enough. In an outspoken radio interview, he said there were “merits” to introducing an annual cap on visas just hours after Mr Cleverly told MPs the idea would be “difficult” in practical terms.

Mr Jenrick told Times Radio: "There are merits to ideas like that. But what matters now is action. The public wants to see us actually deliver reducing levels of net migration… People are sick of talk on this topic.” Mr Jenrick insisted he is confident flights carrying asylum seekers will take off to Rwanda before the next election, as he described illegal migrants as having "broken into" the UK.

Mr Cleverly said in a statement before travelling to Rwanda: “We are clear that Rwanda is a safe country, and we are working at pace to move forward with this partnership to stop the boats and save lives. The Supreme Court recognised that changes may be delivered in future to address the conclusions they reached – and that is what we have set out to do together, with this new, internationally recognised treaty agreement.

“Rwanda cares deeply about the rights of refugees, and I look forward to meeting with counterparts to sign this agreement and further discuss how we work together to tackle the global challenge of illegal migration.”

Ashley Cowburn