Rwanda invoice – reside: Rishi Sunak holds press convention as authorities faces vote showdown in parliament

Rishi Sunak has promised to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda with “no ifs, no buts” and warned friends they’ll sit “however late it goes” to move the coverage, Archie Mitchell studies.

The prime minister set out particulars of how the federal government will ship migrants to the east African nation as soon as the Safety of Rwanda invoice turns into regulation.

“We are ready, plans are in place and these flights will go, come what may,” the PM stated.

He confirmed there may be an airfield on standby with industrial constitution planes booked to take asylum seekers to Rwanda.

And he stated there are lots of of case staff, judges and people educated to escort migrants able to get the coverage working.

Mr Sunak stated: “This is one of the most complex operational endeavours the Home Office has carried out.

“But the plans are in place, and these flights will go, come what may.”

He says that detention locations have been elevated to assist with the method of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda.

PM provides that 200 educated and devoted officers will likely be engaged on functions.

He provides that 25 courtrooms have been made available to assist with authorized challenges.

Sunak claims that the bill will serve as an “indispensable deterrent” so that “we finally break the business model” of people smuggling gangs and save lives.

He adds that the process of removing people will start as soon as the bill passes through parliament.

“We have prepared for this moment,” he adds.

PM adds that there will be no more delay to the Rwanda bill.

He says that parliament will sit tonight for as long as it takes to pass the legislation.

“No ifs, no buts,” he says.

Sunak starts press conference by blaming Labour for stopping the bill passing in the Lords last week.

“For almost two years our opponents have used every trick in the book block flights,” he says.

He adds that “enough is enough”.

The press conference is now due to start at 10:30am.

In his address, Rishi Sunak is likely to urge peers to back his Rwanda plan ahead of crunch votes in parliament.

Peers have repeatedly blocked the legislation with a series of amendments, stretching debate on the “emergency legislation” over more than four months and delaying flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Read more about the bill here:

The number of small boat crossings has increased by 24 per cent, new figures show.

The Home Office said there were 6,265 small boat arrivals between 1 January and 21 April 2024 – compared with 5,049 in the previous period, an increase of 24 per cent.

Vietnamese (1,266) and Afghan (1,216) arrivals comprised 40 per cent of the total arrivals in this period and are the top 2 nationalities arriving so far in 2024.

Vietnamese nationals make up 20 per cent  of all arrivals so far this year compared to less than 3 per cent (125) in the same period last year; this represents a ten-fold year-on-year increase in Vietnamese arrivals.

Afghan nationals make up 19 per cent of all arrivals so far this year, which is broadly similar to the proportion of arrivals in the same period last year (22 per cent – 1,098).

Rishi Sunak will shortly give a press conference on his controversial Rwanda bill, which is due back in the Commons today for the latest round of ping-pong after the Lords voted for changes to the legislation last week.

The upper chamber has two key demands: it wants Afghan heroes who served alongside British forces to be exempt from being deported to the African country and has called for a monitoring scheme to be put in place to ensure Rwanda is a safe country.

But a defiant Downing Street warned last week that the government would not make any concessions on the bill.

And the prime minister has warned parliament will sit through the night on Monday to pass the legislation.

Mr Sunak is scheduled to speak in a few minutes – stay tuned for the latest updates. You’ll additionally be capable of watch it on our YouTube channel (hyperlink to comply with).

The deputy international minister has stated Rwanda’s capital is safer than London as he urged friends to again down over the federal government’s deportation invoice, Archie Mitchell studies.

Andrew Mitchell stated amendments to the Rwanda invoice weren’t obligatory and additional “ping pong” between the Lords and the Commons was “not the right way to proceed”.

“The Lords have had their say, they are a revising chamber and it is now time for them to accept the bill,” Mr Mitchell stated.

Pressed by the BBC in regards to the security of Rwanda for asylum seekers, Mr Mitchell stated: “The remarkable regime in Rwanda over the last 30 years has come back from the abyss – a country completely destroyed by the genocide.

“It is absolutely extraordinary what the Rwandan government has achieved in all walks of life. It is a safe country. And indeed, if you look at the statistics, Kigali is arguably safer than London.”