Rwanda will help us take back control of our borders

As the Home Secretary who negotiated the UK’s world-leading Migration and Economic Partnership with Rwanda I backed the passage of the Safety of Rwanda Act through every stage in Parliament.

The Prime Minister’s statement on the operational plans in place to deliver removals of asylum seekers who have entered the UK illegally to have their claims processed in Rwanda was clear –the focus is on ensuring that removal flights take off and that the partnership is implemented and operational.

In the face of criticism and opposition others might have abandoned the plans. But it is important to recognise that other countries are looking to copy our partnership, with EU nations taking an interest in the plans I put forward because of the positive difference they can make.

And while we have worked to get the Rwanda Partnership delivered, throughout this entire time, it was the Labour Party who went out of their way to make unfounded smears and mobilising their unelected Members of the House of Lords deliberately frustrated our efforts to control our borders, stop small boat crossings and save human life from being put at risk.

When I negotiated and agreed the Partnership two years ago, I worked closely with my counterparts in Rwanda and their foreign minister Vincent Biruta to find solutions and develop a new way to address the unsustainable nature of global migration flows and people trafficking.

As we have sadly seen with the tragedy in the Channel again, each day, people risk their lives as they attempt to cross from a safe country – France to the UK.

They are aided by dangerous and evil people smuggling gangs that show no regard for human life or dignity. Everyone should work together to stop the people smugglers and to the credit of the Rwandan Government, they are committed to playing an international role addressing these challenges and should be commended for their support and patience.

Over the last two years they have faced criticisms and unfounded smears by those activists, lawyers and politicians desperate to frustrate our efforts to control our border, stop small boat crossings and to save human life from being put at risk.

Those attacks on Rwanda have been wrong and disingenuous. Rwanda is a vibrant country that already works closely with the UNHRC to support over 130,000 refugees, has lifted over a million problem out of poverty this century and seen life expectancy more than double since the 1990s.

The Rwandan economy is growing at around 7% to 8% a year, they are an increasingly attractive country for investment due to legal, economic and political reforms, and their tourist industry is so strong they are able to sponsor and partner with Arsenal Football Club, the team Sir Kier Starmer supports.

In 2009 they became the second country without historic ties to the UK to join the Commonwealth because of their commitment to those shared values.

Our Partnership is an investment to build on that record supporting a Commonwealth friend to develop further and give those seeking asylum a safe place to live, support and new opportunities.

As well as providing resettlement and new livelihoods in a safe third country, the Partnership is an important measure in a wider package to dismantle the business model of evil people snuggling gangs, protect lives from being out at risk with dangerous and illegal crossings of the English Channel, and deter people from asylum shopping and economic migrants from abusing our asylum system.

When the Partnership was first announced, it had an immediate impact with evidence of the business models being disrupted and people less inclined to risk coming to the UK when they could claim asylum in other safe countries they are in. It was making a difference before it was even implemented.

But last-minute legal injunctions and the relentless opposition by lawyers in the courts and politicians to frustrate this policy has diluted the deterrent effect.

Those who benefited most from these delays were the people smugglers and those seeking to enter the UK no longer fearing swift removal from this country.

The opponents of this policy have not only offered no solutions to tackle illegal migration but have over the last two years given succour to those evil criminal gangs that put lives at risk. Tens of thousands have crossed the Channel in that time, with some sadly perishing at sea.

In fact, nothing would please those criminal gangs and people who want to undermine our borders more than a change in Government and Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister scrapping the Rwanda Partnership as he has pledged to do, opening up our borders, and appeasing the wishes of left-wing activists and human rights campaigners.

Now the Partnership, reinforced through new legislation and a Treaty, can proceed we should start to see the deterrent effect making an impact as people begin to be transferred to Rwanda.

This humane approach to the global challenges caused by mass and illegal migration must also be further reinforced by the full roll out of measures I introduced into the Nationality and Borders Act.

The fast-track and one-stop-shop approach to applications and appeals would prevent the legal merry-go-round of endless claims and appeals being submitted.

The rollout of new detained sites and Greek-style reception centres would aid our management of asylum seekers and ability to remove them.

We must also continue to negotiate returns agreements building on the ones I agreed with Albania and Pakistan and carry on investing in law enforcement and security services activities to work with our international partners to disrupt, arrest and prosecute criminal gangs exploiting human life.

This Conservative Government made a firm commitment to take back control of our borders and restore public confidence in our asylum and immigration system and the Partnership with Rwanda demonstrates our firm but fair approach.

The benefits will be fewer crossings that put lives at risk, reduced costs of accommodating asylum seekers in the UK, and a strengthening of our border. We must all now unite behind the Partnership to ensure its success and never let its critics and Labour undermine it and put the sovereignty and security of our borders at risk again.