In his first announcement since winning the election, the UK's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced on Saturday, the 6th, that plans to send refugees to Rwanda would be cancelled.
The policy states that any refugee who has entered the UK illegally can be sent back to Rwanda until the British government finishes considering their asylum application. If the request is accepted, the person can return to the country. Otherwise, they must apply for a visa to stay in Rwanda or seek asylum in other countries.
Claimed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from 2022 The Conservative Party aims to prevent illegal entry into the UK via the English Channel using small boats. However, the Act was approved by the British Parliament only in April 2024. Also, due to legal restrictions, no deportations were actually completed.
For Starmer, the policy is flawed because it doesn't act as a deterrent to illegal immigrants. “The Rwanda project was dead and buried before it started. There never was one encouragingStarmer said. “I'm not willing to continue with tactics that don't work.”
Power transfer
Last Friday, the 5th, Starmer and The The Labor Party won One of the biggest parliamentary benefits in UK history. The new prime minister will now have to face a series of challenges as the country's fragile economy becomes difficult to revive.
During the press conference, Starmer said his government needed to act on urgent areas such as reducing waiting times to access public health care and dealing with an overburdened prison system. “We have to make tough decisions and make them early. Let's do it honestly,” he said.
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