Home Secretary blasted for interior design joke over Rwanda migrant homes

19 March 2023 , 10:42

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Home Secretary Suella Braverman has travelled to Rwanda to drum up publicity for the Government's deportation scheme (Image: PA)

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has triggered a backlash after joking about seeking interior design advice while visiting migrant homes in Rwanda.

The Mirror revealed last week that Ms Braverman was jetting off to Kigali to drum up publicity for the controversial scheme to deport asylum seekers to the African country - taking only right-wing newspapers on the taxpayer-funded trip.

No migrants have been deported to Rwanda yet - nearly a year on from the deal being signed by ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel - as the scheme has been mired in legal challenges.

The UK Government has already handed over £140million to the Rwandan Government for the scheme to deport desperate people who arrive in the UK illegally.

On a visit to an estate with newly constructed homes for migrants from the UK and local Rwandans, Ms Braverman said: “These houses are really beautiful, high quality, welcoming and I quite like your interior designer. I need some advice myself.”

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Home Secretary Suella Braverman (left) visits a newly built house with Minister for Information, Communication and technology, Claudette Irere (PA)

But her comments drew accusations she was "playing politics with people's lives and chasing cheap headlines" with the plan.

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "This is a new low for Suella Braverman. She has already wasted taxpayers money on this pointless PR trip.

"Braverman is playing politics with people's lives and chasing cheap headlines instead of doing her job properly.

"People are losing their lives on the channel and all Braverman has in response is foul comments about interior design. What a disgrace."

Labour's Diane Abbott tweeted a picture of the Home Secretary in Rwanda, adding: "Suella Braverman in Rwanda having a good laugh about all the asylum seekers that she is going to dump there."

Shadow Cabinet Minister Lisa Nandy accused the Government of "more stunts" over its immigration policy.

She said Labour accepted there was a major problem, but added: "The question is, what is the Government actually doing?

Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours a building site on the outskirts of Kigali (PA)

"So far they've done several PR opportunities and photo ops. We've had £140 million of cheques written to Rwanda in order to implement a scheme that hasn't removed a single person.

"This is just more stunts from this Government. What they should be doing is what Labour has been calling for for a very long time: Take the money that is being spent on this unethical, unworkable scheme and put it into the National Crime Agency to create a cross-border cell in order to disrupt the criminal gangs who are profiting from people's misery."

Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden was confronted over whether the Home Secretary's interior design comments were "tone deaf".

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He told Sky News: "Contrary to some of the characterisation of the policy, this is about making sure there is somewhere safe and secure for people to get to.

"And actually, the purpose of the Home Secretary's visit was to further strengthen our relationships with Rwanda, so people should feel confident in this policy."

He said the Government wanted to "get cracking" on sending asylum seekers to Rwanda - and said he was confident the scheme was lawful.

Asked about the prospect of children being among those deported, Mr Dowden said: "I don't relish any of this and I really wish we didn't have to do it, and the Government isn't running to do this.

"The Government is doing this because this is a major problem."

It comes as Ms Braverman expanded the agreement with Rwanda to incorporate all those illegally entering the UK as opposed to solely asylum seekers.

The new deal aims to ensure illegal entrants would be detained and swiftly removed under the Government's hardline Illegal Migration Bill - whether they are claiming asylum, human rights or modern slavery.

Lizzy Buchan