The Prime Minister has said that he is “determined” to get the Rwanda Bill passed through Parliament, but peers in the House of Lords have shared their unease over the scheme.
Rishi Sunak and his Ministers are bracing for a battle in the Upper House of the Rwanda scheme and the Prime Minister has urged the Lords to not block the Bill.
The Prime Minister has said the “will of the people” want the Rwanda scheme to be “up and running as soon as possible.”
Former Scottish Tory leader Baroness Ruth Davidson has reservations that Sunak’s scheme will see asylum seekers deported to Rwanda.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Davidson said there “are dogs in the street that know” that eve know the deportation flights are “probably never going to happen.”
Sunak has insisted that the public across the UK are fed up with the government’s “merry-go-round,” and his remarks come as the Rwandan President said that this cannot “drag on.”
Rwanda’s President warned Sunak this week that there “are limits” on how long his asylum plan can go on for and he would be happy for the plans to be axed.
Speaking to the Guardian on Wednesday in Davos at the World Economic Forum, Paul Kagame said that British Prime Minister’s asylum plan is “the UK’s problem, not ours.”
The Rwanda President is clearly frustrated over Sunak’s Rwanda Bill as it has dragged on for some time, Kagame said, “There are limits for how long this can drag on.”
The Guardian asked the Rwanda President if Sunak’s deal is working, Kagame said, “Ask the UK. It is the UK’s problem, not Rwanda’s problem.”
The Prime Minister has downplayed fears that the Lords will not allow the legislation to go through.
Sunak told the PA news agency, “We shouldn’t be talking about these things because the House of Lords will be able to see that this is part of the strong majority in the Commons, they can see that this is a national priority.
“And I would urge them strongly to crack on with it because we all just want to get this done.”
During a visit to Hampshire he told broadcasters, “I am pleased our plan is working and that we’re making progress.
“The numbers last year were down by over a third, that hasn’t happened before, so that shows that we can make a difference here.
“In order to fully solve this problem we need to have a deterrent, so that when people come here illegally they won’t be able to stay and will be removed.
“That is why the Rwanda scheme is so important, and that’s why I’m determined to get it through Parliament and get it up and running as quickly as possible so we can properly solve this problem.
“We have got a plan, this plan is working, if we stick with it we can deliver the change people want to see.”
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Ministers would “consider issues that are raised motions and amendments in the usual way.”
“In terms of the improvements and the assurances that we have with the government of Rwanda, we are confident that there will be implementation of all of those measures in line with the timelines for the treaty,” she added.
“So those assurances that we provided, which responded to issues raised by the Supreme Court, will be in place when we get flights off the ground.”
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