Sunak “prepared to change our laws” after UK Supreme Court deems Rwanda scheme unlawful

Rishi Sunak has pledged to continue plans to send refugees to Rwanda after the UK Supreme Court has ruled the scheme to be unlawful and would pose a “real risk” to those displaced.

He plans to reevaluate the treaty with Rwanda, and is “prepared to change our laws” if necessary to push through this legislation.

He remains committed to “stopping the boats”, the tagline his administration has been pushing since their appointment last autumn.

The scheme would mean that once in Rwanda, refugees would not be able to return to the UK, go back home, or transfer to a third party country.

Sunak believes this will deter asylum seekers from trying to cross the channel in small boats. However, it also means that virtually no-one would be able to claim asylum in the UK without a visa or access to one of the limited asylum routes.

Opposition leader Keir Starmer called it a “pathetic spectacle” whilst Boris Johnson supports plans to change Rwanda’s country classification to “safe” in order to push through the legislation despite political violence reckoning in the region and the threats those in the LGBT+ community face there.

By restricting the routes in which refugees can come into the country we are ignoring our international obligation to provide asylum to those who seek it as it is a fundamental human right.

by Emily Shillcock