Contributions
398 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillWe had a debate on Thursday on the costs of the scheme and not a single Labour Back Bencher was there. There was only the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Dame…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillRespectfully, that is not directly relevant to amendment 8. The answer to the question on voluntary removals is yes, this will happen in exactly the same way. There have been…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI will not give way. There is a conclusive presumption in the Bill that Rwanda is generally a safe country. There is a series of facts reinforced by statute. The courts have not…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillNo. Respectfully, I encourage the hon. Lady to listen to the debate, because I read out the words of the EU’s ambassador, not of any representative from Rwanda. That is a powerful…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI know how seriously the hon. Gentleman takes this important issue. There is a policy of non-discrimination in the Rwandan constitution, which will provide some reassurance. The…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillThe answer is that the hon. and learned Lady must not cherry-pick her evidence. The evidence must be looked at in the round. As I say, it is the treaty, the Bill and the published…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillOn the safety of Rwanda, the ambassador was very clear about his assessment; I am going to continue reading the quote, but there are others. There are more than 135,000 refugees…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillNo, I am going to move on to amendment 6. Amendment 6 seeks to enable United Kingdom courts and tribunals to grant interim remedies. As I have previously stated, one of the core…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI am going to make some progress now. The Bill is based on the compliance of both Rwanda and the United Kingdom with international law in the form of the treaty, which itself…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy hon. Friend is entirely right on both counts. I will develop the point about the deterrent effect in a few moments, because it is a point that is missed repeatedly by the…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI agree entirely with my hon. Friend, who speaks with great experience and authority. He will be aware of other instances in which we have legislated and continue to legislate,…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillOn deterrence, which I think was the thrust of the question, the Albania scheme brought into effect by the Prime Minister back in December 2022 proves the deterrent effect.…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI noted some vigorous nodding from my right hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) and my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster). My hon. Friend is right that…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI have already given way to the hon. Gentleman, so I will make progress. That shows that if you enter the United Kingdom illegally, you will not be able to stay. We cannot allow…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI have given way twice to the hon. and learned Lady, so I will make progress. We have been clear that the purpose of this legislation is to stop the boats, and to do that we must…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy hon. Friend proves the point I just made, that it is the evidence in the round that must be considered. I am grateful to him for drawing that to Parliament’s attention.18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMay I start by thanking every single right hon. and hon. Member who has contributed during the course of this debate? It has been detailed, thorough and constructive, and I am…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillIn fact, that document supports the Government’s position, because the evidence put forward is balanced. The accusations from Opposition parties that somehow partisan evidence has…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI disagree entirely with all the points that the hon. Gentleman has made; I know that he is patient, and he will hear me respond to each and every one.18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillI understand the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns, but I repeat that there is no incompatibility between article 2 and the Bill. He is right to cite the judgment, but there is to…18 Mar 2024