Rishi - why are you totally fixated on Rwanda?

According to the Times, ‘the Rwandan govt has put out a clarification:

Yolande Makolo, chief spokesperson, says Rwanda has "no obligation" to return any of the funds paid.

But says that if no migrants come to Rwanda under the scheme and the UK requests a refund, "we will consider this request".’

Beyond farce now.

Whitewavemark2

GrannyGravy13

The President of Rwanda has gone on record saying that if no refugees from U.K. arrive in their Country they will return the money received from U.K. Government.

Source 2pm news BBC Radio 2

Well, not quite.

“He will possibly give returning the money some consideration.”

I watched a Rwandan opposition MP on sky today, who stated that Rwanda was definitely not a safe country to which to transport our asylum seekers

Thank you Whitewavemark2 I was not paying 100% attention (clearing out the playroom)

GrannyGravy13

The President of Rwanda has gone on record saying that if no refugees from U.K. arrive in their Country they will return the money received from U.K. Government.

Source 2pm news BBC Radio 2

Well, not quite.

“He will possibly give returning the money some consideration.”

I watched a Rwandan opposition MP on sky today, who stated that Rwanda was definitely not a safe country to which to transport our asylum seekers

I was thinking exactly the same myself. What has the cost been in man hours for discussing a scheme that will most likely be thrown out or need modification or even if it goes through will only deal with a tiny proportion at huge expense? Just think of the cost of the wages all those M.P.s and ministers going round in circles ! When They should be sorting out the NHS, education and the transport system !

Luckygirl3

It is puzzling. He has set in train a policy that is dubiously legal and frankly inhumane that brings disgrace on Britain. He must know tis - surely he cannot be oblivious to this?

Our public services are in a dreadful state and yet he is happy to spend vast sums of money on this obsession. Might there not have been better immigration policies on which this money could have been spent? - tracking down those behind it all and bringing them to justice, speeding up the administration of vetting procedures?

He is doing himself no favours politically because his candidates in the GE will struggle to sell this to all but the most die-hard ultra right-wingers.

Yes, he's getting nowhere yet the money is disappearing when it could be spent on better hostels, training of staff and fast processing and collaborating with other countries to clamp down on traffickers.

He's trying to push a bung into the wrong hole, not noticing there are lots of holes elsewhere.

The Tories are focussed on this crazy scheme as it diverts attention away from the increasing number of legal migrants being brought into the country, the broken health and social care services, sewage, the housing crisis etc etc They hope it will appeal to the Brexit lovers who blame all the countries ills on the EU and other foreigners.

Correction it was on BBC Radio 5 live, it’s also on BBC website.

The President of Rwanda has gone on record saying that if no refugees from U.K. arrive in their Country they will return the money received from U.K. Government.

Source 2pm news BBC Radio 2

Grantanow

Because he thinks it goes down well with some voters. A less political reason is that PMs can really only deal directly with 2 or 3 major issues at a time- everything else is dealt with by private secretaries and sides of various kinds.

I think I agree with all of this.

No idea how two isn’t working’s appeared

last two words should be is correct

MayBee70

Just listening to Stephen Kinnock speaking in parliament: I had either forgotten or didn’t know that the Rwanda scheme was introduced as part of operation save big dog, the ill fated scheme to keep Boris Johnson in power. Imo the main problem is that the government can’t bring themselves to liaise with anyone or anything containing the word ‘Europe’.

Have you missed the cooperation with France and the millions of £’s the U.K. sends for border control along the French
Beaches?

I know that the present system of giving all asylum seekers freedom to roam isn’t working if the percentage posted by Whitewavemark2 isn’t working.

What is wrong with the authorities knowing where these people are and what they are doing, until such time their claims are processed and they either stay or are deported.

The entire process needs speeding up.

Just listening to Stephen Kinnock speaking in parliament: I had either forgotten or didn’t know that the Rwanda scheme was introduced as part of operation save big dog, the ill fated scheme to keep Boris Johnson in power. Imo the main problem is that the government can’t bring themselves to liaise with anyone or anything containing the word ‘Europe’.

DaisyAnneReturns

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

Oh dear apparently 85% of asylum seekers earmarked for transportation have disappeared.

If that is correct then maybe they need to be in holding facilities of some sort until they are given permission to remain in the U.K. As opposed to being allowed to come and go as they please from hotels, b & b’s and the barge.

Do you realise what you are suggesting GrannyGravy13?

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

Oh dear apparently 85% of asylum seekers earmarked for transportation have disappeared.

If that is correct then maybe they need to be in holding facilities of some sort until they are given permission to remain in the U.K. As opposed to being allowed to come and go as they please from hotels, b & b’s and the barge.

Do you realise what you are suggesting GrannyGravy13?

Agree Urmstongran 👍🏻

Agree with you GG13! Somewhere clean, basic, secure with access to a doctor, a dentist, warmth, food and clothing. Use the Rwanda money (well, stop spending more, it isn’t going to work), cut the £millions we give to France for their sporadic ‘cooperation’ and putting them in hotels (we are mad). So spend the money in-house. Secure facilities just not roaming around and getting ‘lost’. That is very worrying. For everyone. Use the money to set up quicker administrator centres. Eventually that would actually be self funding so the more staff the better.

Whitewavemark2

Oh dear apparently 85% of asylum seekers earmarked for transportation have disappeared.

If that is correct then maybe they need to be in holding facilities of some sort until they are given permission to remain in the U.K. As opposed to being allowed to come and go as they please from hotels, b & b’s and the barge.

Oh dear apparently 85% of asylum seekers earmarked for transportation have disappeared.

I’ve been wondering why there aren’t the same numbers of people coming from Albania and found this…
Following the landmark joint communiqué between the Prime Ministers of Albania and the UK on tackling illegal migration, operational teams in the UK and Albania have intensified operational work to address illegal migration, particularly the small boat crossings in the English Channel.

The UK and Albanian authorities have been working together to make it more difficult for illegal migrants to arrive and stay in the UK. Since the communiqué was agreed, new figures show that over 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned to Albania. This figure is a combination of failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders and voluntary returns and covers the period from agreement of the joint communiqué on 13 December up to the first week in April.

UK and Albanian operational teams have set up a joint migration task force, which serves as the main gateway to coordinate specialised operational measures and actions to manage illegal migration of Albanian citizens to the UK.

These include reinforced checks on free movement criteria at all border crossing points across the country, increased verifications on Albanian citizens who are found to be illegally in the territory of the UK, and exchange of senior-level police officers in both countries.

Head of the Albanian Border and Migration Police, Saimir Boshnjaku, said:

We are working hand in hand with our British colleagues under the joint migration task force to prevent irregular migration to the UK and related crimes.

The Border and Migration Police urges all citizens to follow the legal way of migration and assures that all persons breaking the law will face the consequences.

UK Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Tony Eastaugh, said:

These numbers are evidence that our partnership with the government of Albania to speed up the removal of those with no legal right to be in the UK is working.

As we intensify this activity further, Albanian nationals who enter the UK illegally and have no right to be here should be under no illusion that we will remove them as quickly as possible.

In 2022, there were 1,888 returns of Albanian nationals, of which 954 (51%) were enforced returns and 934 (49%) were voluntary returns. The number of voluntary returns is 90% higher than in 2021 (492). This is a new and encouraging trend, which we have seen continue into 2023. Already in 2023, from January to March, 795 Albanian nationals have been returned. Of these, 389 (49%) were enforced returns and 406 (51%) were voluntary returns. These operations are expected to intensify further in the upcoming months.

The Border and Migration Police of Albania and the UK Home Office are determined to put a stop to illegal migration which seriously impedes the prosperity and safety of citizens and enables criminality, exploitation and other forms of illegality.

The UK’s latest illegal migration statistics, published this morning (Monday 24 April) and covering a range of nationalities, also show that:

enforcement visits conducted between January and March 2023 have increased since the same period last year (a 53% rise, from 2,111 to 3,228)
as at 31 March 2023, the number of legacy cases in the asylum initial decision backlog was 11% lower than as at 31 December 2022
the number of asylum decision-makers has increased since July last year. As at 1 March 2023, there were 1,281 asylum decision makers, 48% higher than on 1 July 2022 (when there were 865)
So, if working with the Albanian government has been successful why aren’t they using the same approach when it comes to migrants from other countries. Why still persevere with this so called deterrent?

MaizieD

A great many of the Asian immigrants with visas are here as students. Our local uni makes a great deal of money from Asian students.

The Tories have also got an agreement with India about visas and the ability to work in the U.K.

Because he thinks it goes down well with some voters. A less political reason is that PMs can really only deal directly with 2 or 3 major issues at a time- everything else is dealt with by private secretaries and sides of various kinds.

Luckygirl3

It is puzzling. He has set in train a policy that is dubiously legal and frankly inhumane that brings disgrace on Britain. He must know tis - surely he cannot be oblivious to this?

Our public services are in a dreadful state and yet he is happy to spend vast sums of money on this obsession. Might there not have been better immigration policies on which this money could have been spent? - tracking down those behind it all and bringing them to justice, speeding up the administration of vetting procedures?

He is doing himself no favours politically because his candidates in the GE will struggle to sell this to all but the most die-hard ultra right-wingers.

Don't you read any news, have you read about the people smugglers that have been tracked down, and are now serving prison sentences. Just because it's not shouted from the roof tops, doesn't mean its not being done. Perhaps read the NCA website.

I think he wants to prove he is on the authoritarian right. He isn't doing it very well but it is the authoritarian right he is trying to appeal to.

If only the Conservative MP’s that are fixated on Rwanda had been as obsessive about bringing about justice for the sub postmasters, something that has been known to parliament for a long time