In his first significant policy announcement since his landslide election victory, Britain’s newly appointed Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on Saturday that he would abandon the contentious plan to deport thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The scheme, initially proposed by the previous Conservative government in 2022, aimed to deter illegal immigration by sending migrants who arrived without permission to the East African nation. However, no migrants were ever relocated due to prolonged legal challenges.
At his inaugural press conference as prime minister, Starmer criticised the Rwanda policy, stating that it would have only impacted about 1% of asylum seekers and failed to serve as a deterrent. “The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It’s never been a deterrent,” Starmer asserted. “I’m not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don’t act as a deterrent.”
Starmer’s victory, which secured one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history, places him in a powerful position akin to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Nonetheless, he faces significant challenges, including improving struggling public services and revitalizing a weak economy.
During the press conference at Downing Street, Starmer fielded numerous questions, many of which focused on the timeline and specifics of his plans to address the nation’s issues. While he provided few details, he emphasized the need for early and tough decisions. “We’re going to have to take the tough decisions and take them early, and we will. We will do that with a raw honesty,” he said, adding that this did not signal any unexpected tax increases.
The issue of asylum seekers crossing from France was a central topic during the six-week election campaign. While proponents of the Rwanda policy believed it would dismantle human trafficking operations, critics deemed it immoral and impractical. In November, the UK Supreme Court ruled the policy unlawful, declaring Rwanda unsafe as a third country, leading to new legislation and a treaty with Rwanda to override the decision. This move is currently being contested by charities and unions.
Despite the British government already investing hundreds of millions of pounds in Rwanda for accommodation and processing facilities, Starmer announced plans to establish a Border Security Command. This new entity will unify police, domestic intelligence, and prosecutorial efforts to combat people smuggling in cooperation with international agencies.
Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom from Torture, a leading opponent of the Rwanda plan, praised Starmer’s decision. “We applaud Keir Starmer for moving immediately to close the door on this shameful scheme that played politics with the lives of people fleeing torture and persecution,” she said.
