Government’s refugee minister one week ago said ‘no possibility’ of flying migrants to Rwanda

The authorities’s minister for refugees said only a week ago there was “no possibility” of eradicating asylum seekers to Rwanda, it has emerged.

Lord Harrington’s feedback got here simply seven days earlier than Boris Johnson pronounces plans to ship refugees searching for asylum to an offshore processing centre within the landlocked African nation.

Asked on 5 of April whether or not he may justify such ameasure, the Home Office minister said he was not conscious of any such plan.

“We haven’t sent any refugees to Rwanda… is that a rumour?” he said when requested concerning the risk of the coverage throughout an look on LBC Radio.

When it was put to Lord Harrington that the coverage could be utilized to folks crossing the Channel on small boats, he said:

“If it’s happening in the Home Office on the same corridor that I’m in, they haven’t told me about it.

“But we’re having problem sufficient getting them from Ukraine to our nation – there isn’t any risk of sending them to Rwanda.”

Yet the prime minister is expected to announce the policy in a speech today, in an apparent bid to move on from his police fine for having a birthday party while the country was locked down.

Commenting directly to Lord Harrington, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “This prime minister doesn’t care whose integrity he shreds in an try to save his personal pores and skin.

“Boris Johnson is taking us all for fools – and that includes you.”

The authorities is assumed to have finalised a “migration and economic development partnership” with Rwanda which may see it home a processing centre for folks attempting to attain the UK.

An identical system in Australia has led to dramatic human rights abuses, and British politicians have lengthy thought-about copying it, however struggled to discover a nation prepared to find a centre.

The plans have been met with scepticism. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs parliament’s defence choose committee, said the proposals had been a “massive distraction”.

“He’s trying to make an announcement today on migration, and all of this is a massive distraction,” Mr Ellwood instructed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“It’s not going away. It is a crisis. It requires crisis management. There needs to be a plan.

“Otherwise, we’re in drift mode, with doubtlessly extra resignations and extra letters of concern. That is not the place we wish to go – it’s going to then dominate the political agenda.”

The select committee chair added: “My concern is, is that it will then drift as a result of there are 4 extra fastened penalty notices to come and the Sue Gray report as effectively.

“There needs to be an opportunity in the very near future for us to draw a line on where we go and how the party then moves forward.”