United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday (July 6) said he was not prepared to continue with the previous government's Rwanda migrant deportation plan.

"The Rwanda scheme was buried before it even started. I'm not prepared to continue with publicity stunt that don't act as a deterrent," Starmer told reporters at his first news conference after officially taking over as PM.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-did-conservatives-lose-uk-election-how-sunak-managed-to-end-14-year-tory-rule-738220">Why did Conservatives lose UK election? How Rishi Sunak's term helped end 14-year Tory rule, return of Labour</a>

The newly election PM said, "he was restless for change&nbsp;and that his party had received a "mandate to do politics differently"."

The newly elected UK PM&nbsp;began his first full day in office on Saturday&nbsp;with a cabinet meeting, following his Labour Party's decisive election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Starmer convened the first meeting of his team, with the UK’s first woman finance minister, Rachel Reeves, and the new foreign minister, David Lammy.

The Labour leader told his ministers it had been "the honour and the privilege of my life" to be invited by King Charles III to form the government.

"We have a huge a amount of work to do, so now we get on with our work," he said.

Former PM Rishi Sunak had&nbsp;staked his political reputation on his plan to halt the boats, advocating the contentious deportation plan despite opposition from rights groups and the&nbsp;court's ruling against it.&nbsp;

Notably, immigration has become an increasingly important&nbsp;issue particularly since the UK left the European Union in 2020, mainly on an undertaking to "take back control" of the country's borders.

Starmer had previously said that Sunak's policy was neither a prevention nor value for money.

He has pledged to address the issue by dismantling the people-smuggling gangs responsible for the crossings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-elections-2024-labour-wins-ready-to-change-our-country-for-the-better-says-starmer-738219" target="_blank">UK Elections 2024: Labour wins, Ready to change our country for the better says Starmer</a>

“Central to the policy would be a new "elite"&nbsp;Border Security Command, comprising immigration and law enforcement specialists, as well as the domestic intelligence service MI5,” he said.

According to the UK Home Office, an estimated 12,313 people have made the crossing to Britain so far this year, marking an 18 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

In 2023, there were 29,437 arrivals, which represents a decrease of 36 per cent from the record 45,774 arrivals witnessed&nbsp;in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)

United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday (July 6) said he was not prepared to continue with the previous government's Rwanda migrant deportation plan.

United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday (July 6) said he was not prepared to continue with the previous government's Rwanda migrant deportation plan. "The Rwanda scheme was buried before it even started. I'm not prepared to continue with publicity stunt that don't act as a deterrent," Starmer told reporters at his first news conference after officially taking over as PM. Also read: Why did Conservatives lose UK election? How Rishi Sunak's term helped end 14-year Tory rule, return of Labour The newly election PM said, "he was restless for change and that his party had received a "mandate to do politics differently"." The newly elected UK PM began his first full day in office on Saturday with a cabinet meeting, following his Labour Party's decisive election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer convened the first meeting of his team, with the UK’s first woman finance minister, Rachel Reeves, and the new foreign minister, David Lammy. The Labour leader told his ministers it had been "the honour and the privilege of my life" to be invited by King Charles III to form the government. "We have a huge a amount of work to do, so now we get on with our work," he said. Former PM Rishi Sunak had staked his political reputation on his plan to halt the boats, advocating the contentious deportation plan despite opposition from rights groups and the court's ruling against it. Notably, immigration has become an increasingly important issue particularly since the UK left the European Union in 2020, mainly on an undertaking to "take back control" of the country's borders. Starmer had previously said that Sunak's policy was neither a prevention nor value for money. He has pledged to address the issue by dismantling the people-smuggling gangs responsible for the crossings. Also read | UK Elections 2024: Labour wins, Ready to change our country for the better says Starmer “Central to the policy would be a new "elite" Border Security Command, comprising immigration and law enforcement specialists, as well as the domestic intelligence service MI5,” he said. According to the UK Home Office, an estimated 12,313 people have made the crossing to Britain so far this year, marking an 18 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. In 2023, there were 29,437 arrivals, which represents a decrease of 36 per cent from the record 45,774 arrivals witnessed in 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

UK PM Keir Starmer unwilling to proceed with Rwanda migrant deportation plan

Britain intends to begin deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda on July 24, a government lawyer said on Monday, although the hotly contested scheme is dependent on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party winning the upcoming election.

Sending asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain without permission to Rwanda is one of Sunak's flagship policies, but legal and parliamentary obstacles have meant it has never got off the ground.

Sunak has said the deportation flights will not leave before the July 4 election but has promised if he wins they would begin soon after. The opposition Labour Party, leading by about 20 points in opinion polls, has pledged to scrap the plan if elected.

In documents submitted to the London High Court as part of a challenge to the policy by charity Asylum Aid, government lawyers said the intention was "to effect removals with a flight to Rwanda on 23 July 2024 (and not before)."

Watch:&nbsp;UK: Rwanda bill showdown in Parliament, calls for concessions for Afghans

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However, government lawyer Edward Brown later told the court that an "operational update" from the Home Office (interior ministry) said the first flight would in fact leave on July 24.

The scheme - first drawn up by one of Sunak's predecessors, Boris Johnson, in 2022 - aims to deter asylum seekers making the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats from France.

Last November, the UK Supreme Court declared the policy unlawful, prompting Sunak to sign a new treaty with the East African country and to pass new legislation to override this.

Asylum Aid's lawyer Charlotte Kilroy said the date earmarked for the flight was "news to us". The judge, Martin Chamberlain, remarked: "This is all going to be subject to the outcome of the general election, but we obviously cannot make any predictions about that."

The numbers of asylum seekers crossing the Channel has risen to record numbers this year, with more than 10,000 people arriving so far, after numbers fell by a third in 2023.

Britain intends to begin deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda on July 24, a government lawyer said on Monday, although the hotly contested scheme is dependent on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party winning the upcoming election.

Britain intends to begin deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda on July 24, a government lawyer said on Monday, although the hotly contested scheme is dependent on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party winning the upcoming election. Sending asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain without permission to Rwanda is one of Sunak's flagship policies, but legal and parliamentary obstacles have meant it has never got off the ground. Sunak has said the deportation flights will not leave before the July 4 election but has promised if he wins they would begin soon after. The opposition Labour Party, leading by about 20 points in opinion polls, has pledged to scrap the plan if elected. In documents submitted to the London High Court as part of a challenge to the policy by charity Asylum Aid, government lawyers said the intention was "to effect removals with a flight to Rwanda on 23 July 2024 (and not before)." Watch: UK: Rwanda bill showdown in Parliament, calls for concessions for Afghans × However, government lawyer Edward Brown later told the court that an "operational update" from the Home Office (interior ministry) said the first flight would in fact leave on July 24. The scheme - first drawn up by one of Sunak's predecessors, Boris Johnson, in 2022 - aims to deter asylum seekers making the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats from France. Last November, the UK Supreme Court declared the policy unlawful, prompting Sunak to sign a new treaty with the East African country and to pass new legislation to override this. Asylum Aid's lawyer Charlotte Kilroy said the date earmarked for the flight was "news to us". The judge, Martin Chamberlain, remarked: "This is all going to be subject to the outcome of the general election, but we obviously cannot make any predictions about that." The numbers of asylum seekers crossing the Channel has risen to record numbers this year, with more than 10,000 people arriving so far, after numbers fell by a third in 2023.

UK declares first Rwanda asylum seekers’ deportation flight to take off on July 24

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged his Conservative party members to unite behind his plan to send the illegal migrants to Rwanda as certain lawmakers protest the move saying it did not go far enough.&nbsp;&nbsp;

During a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday (Dec 7), Sunak&nbsp;said the plan will work, to appease the Tories who want him to withdraw the UK from the European Court of Human Rights, to stop courts blocking removals.

"This bill will work...we will get flights off the ground, we will deter illegal migrants from coming here and we will finally stop the boats," said Sunak.&nbsp;

"I want to finish the job. Finishing the job means getting this legislation on the statute book," he added.

Sunak said his plan was the&nbsp;"only approach" as going any further would mean that Rwanda "will collapse the scheme and then we will have nowhere to send anyone to".&nbsp;

Sunak's statement came a day after his immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigned from the position&nbsp;due to "strong disagreements with the direction" of the government's policy on immigration.

He wrote a letter to PM Sunak saying that the proposed laws were "a triumph of hope over experience".

"The stakes for the country are too high for us not to pursue the stronger protections required to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent," he wrote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-immigration-minister-quits-over-rwanda-bill-666990">Also read |&nbsp;UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigns over Rwanda bill</a>

<h2>Why the protest?</h2>

Notably, last&nbsp;month, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Sunak's immigration&nbsp;move violates the international human rights enshrined in domestic legislation. One of the biggest points raised by the court was that the asylum seekers would then be deported back to their home nations from where they had escaped the torturous conditions.&nbsp;

Afterwards, the Sunak administration signed a new&nbsp;migrant treaty with Rwanda which attempts to circumvent the legal block placed.&nbsp;To mitigate the Supreme Court's&nbsp;concerns, the new treaty states that anyone sent to Rwanda will be given permanent leave to remain there even if their asylum application failed, according to the&nbsp;Financial Times.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-pm-rishi-sunaks-new-rwanda-plan-suffers-blow-as-immigration-minister-quits-667126">Watch |&nbsp;UK: PM Rishi Sunak's new Rwanda plan suffers blow as immigration minister quits</a>

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&nbsp;

<h2 data-testid="paragraph-5">What is the Rwanda asylum plan?</h2>

Former interior minister Priti Patel in April 2022&nbsp;brought the "Rwanda Asylum Policy"&nbsp;but its implementation remained in limbo due to the court proceedings.

Under the plan, the British government is aiming to send thousands of illegal migrants to Rwanda to deter others from crossing the Channel on small, dangerous boats.&nbsp;

In return, the relatively underdeveloped nation has received a payment of $180 million with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged his Conservative party members to unite behind his plan to send the illegal migrants to Rwanda as certain lawmakers protest the move saying it did not go far enough.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged his Conservative party members to unite behind his plan to send the illegal migrants to Rwanda as certain lawmakers protest the move saying it did not go far enough. During a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday (Dec 7), Sunak said the plan will work, to appease the Tories who want him to withdraw the UK from the European Court of Human Rights, to stop courts blocking removals. "This bill will work...we will get flights off the ground, we will deter illegal migrants from coming here and we will finally stop the boats," said Sunak. "I want to finish the job. Finishing the job means getting this legislation on the statute book," he added. Sunak said his plan was the "only approach" as going any further would mean that Rwanda "will collapse the scheme and then we will have nowhere to send anyone to". Sunak's statement came a day after his immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigned from the position due to "strong disagreements with the direction" of the government's policy on immigration. He wrote a letter to PM Sunak saying that the proposed laws were "a triumph of hope over experience". "The stakes for the country are too high for us not to pursue the stronger protections required to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent," he wrote. Also read | UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigns over Rwanda bill Why the protest? Notably, last month, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Sunak's immigration move violates the international human rights enshrined in domestic legislation. One of the biggest points raised by the court was that the asylum seekers would then be deported back to their home nations from where they had escaped the torturous conditions. Afterwards, the Sunak administration signed a new migrant treaty with Rwanda which attempts to circumvent the legal block placed. To mitigate the Supreme Court's concerns, the new treaty states that anyone sent to Rwanda will be given permanent leave to remain there even if their asylum application failed, according to the Financial Times. Watch | UK: PM Rishi Sunak's new Rwanda plan suffers blow as immigration minister quits × What is the Rwanda asylum plan? Former interior minister Priti Patel in April 2022 brought the "Rwanda Asylum Policy" but its implementation remained in limbo due to the court proceedings. Under the plan, the British government is aiming to send thousands of illegal migrants to Rwanda to deter others from crossing the Channel on small, dangerous boats. In return, the relatively underdeveloped nation has received a payment of $180 million with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals. (With inputs from agencies)

'It will work': Rishi Sunak pleads conservatives to support his Rwanda asylum plan

British Home Secretary James Cleverly on Tuesday (Dec 5) signed the new migrant treaty with Rwanda which attempts to circumvent the legal block placed on the government's policy of sending asylum seekers to the African country.&nbsp;

Speaking after the signing of the treaty, Cleverly said there was no "credible"&nbsp;reason to block the deportation flights and that he hoped that "we can now move quickly", referring to the backlog of aliens.&nbsp;

Last month, the UK Supreme Court ruled that such a move violates the international human rights enshrined in domestic legislation. One of the biggest points raised by the court was that the asylum seekers would then be deported back to their home nations from where they had escaped the torturous conditions.&nbsp;

To mitigate the SC's concerns, the new treaty states that anyone sent to Rwanda will be given permanent leave to remain there even if their asylum application failed, according to the&nbsp;Financial Times.&nbsp;

Notably, former interior minister Priti Patel in April last year brought the "Rwanda Asylum Policy"&nbsp;but its implementation remained in limbo due to the court proceedings.

Under the plan, the British government is aiming to send thousands of illegal migrants to Rwanda to deter others from crossing the Channel on small, dangerous boats.&nbsp;

In return, the relatively underdeveloped nation has received a payment of $180 million with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-announces-law-to-stop-illegal-immigrants-569817">WATCH |&nbsp;UK announces law to stop illegal immigrants</a>

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<h2>Sunak's back-and-forth on migrant&nbsp;crisis&nbsp;</h2>

At the start of the year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, amid much pomp, laid out five pledges for 2023, of which one was to&nbsp;stop migrants from entering the UK illegally.&nbsp;

However, Sunak's enthusiasm appeared to take a hit mid-year when he said his plan to stop small boats crossing the Channel "won't happen overnight". He also&nbsp;pushed the timeline to achieve his goals beyond the general elections.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/it-wont-happen-overnight-sunak-appears-defeatist-on-small-boats-channel-crossings-582456">Also read | 'It won't happen overnight...': UK PM Rishi Sunak appears defeatist on illegal migrants issue</a>

“I’ve always said that this is not something that is easy – it is a complicated problem, where there’s no single, simple solution that will fix it. And I’ve also said that it won’t happen overnight,” Sunak said in an interview.&nbsp;

The immigration crisis reached a peak in 2022 when over 45,000 people entered the UK, breaking the previous year's record by more than 17,000. up until August this year, a total of 25,043 illegal migrants had the journey across the Channel.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

British Home Secretary James Cleverly on Tuesday (Dec 5) signed the new migrant treaty with Rwanda which attempts to circumvent the legal block placed on the government's policy of sending asylum seekers to the African country.

British Home Secretary James Cleverly on Tuesday (Dec 5) signed the new migrant treaty with Rwanda which attempts to circumvent the legal block placed on the government's policy of sending asylum seekers to the African country. Speaking after the signing of the treaty, Cleverly said there was no "credible" reason to block the deportation flights and that he hoped that "we can now move quickly", referring to the backlog of aliens. Last month, the UK Supreme Court ruled that such a move violates the international human rights enshrined in domestic legislation. One of the biggest points raised by the court was that the asylum seekers would then be deported back to their home nations from where they had escaped the torturous conditions. To mitigate the SC's concerns, the new treaty states that anyone sent to Rwanda will be given permanent leave to remain there even if their asylum application failed, according to the Financial Times. Notably, former interior minister Priti Patel in April last year brought the "Rwanda Asylum Policy" but its implementation remained in limbo due to the court proceedings. Under the plan, the British government is aiming to send thousands of illegal migrants to Rwanda to deter others from crossing the Channel on small, dangerous boats. In return, the relatively underdeveloped nation has received a payment of $180 million with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals. WATCH | UK announces law to stop illegal immigrants Sunak's back-and-forth on migrant crisis At the start of the year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, amid much pomp, laid out five pledges for 2023, of which one was to stop migrants from entering the UK illegally. However, Sunak's enthusiasm appeared to take a hit mid-year when he said his plan to stop small boats crossing the Channel "won't happen overnight". He also pushed the timeline to achieve his goals beyond the general elections. Also read | 'It won't happen overnight...': UK PM Rishi Sunak appears defeatist on illegal migrants issue “I’ve always said that this is not something that is easy – it is a complicated problem, where there’s no single, simple solution that will fix it. And I’ve also said that it won’t happen overnight,” Sunak said in an interview. The immigration crisis reached a peak in 2022 when over 45,000 people entered the UK, breaking the previous year's record by more than 17,000. up until August this year, a total of 25,043 illegal migrants had the journey across the Channel. (With inputs from agencies)

UK signs new treaty with Rwanda to send illegal migrants to the African nation

The High Court in London has ruled the British government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal. Watch this video to know more.

UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal, rules high court