PM's remarks on illegal migration: 7 December 2023
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech on illegal migration on 7 December 2023.
Today the government has introduced the toughest anti-illegal immigration law ever.
I know it will upset some people and you will hear a lot of criticism about it.
It바카라 사이트檚 right to explain why I have decided to do this.
I바카라 사이트檓 the child of immigrants바카라 사이트β�
I understand why some people take the risk of getting into unsafe dinghies to cross open waters바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트t바카라 사이트檚 because the United Kingdom is an incredible country바카라 사이트� it offers opportunity, hope and safety.
But the difference is바카라 사이트� my family came here바카라 사이트� legally.
Like most immigrants, they integrated into local communities바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트orked hard to provide for their family
바카라 사이트uilt lives and businesses, found friends and neighbours바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트� and most of all바카라 사이트� they were really proud to become British.
That feeling of pride바카라 사이트� it cascades down the generations and grows바카라 사이트� and that바카라 사이트檚 why you see so many children of immigrants sitting around the Cabinet table.
But it바카라 사이트檚 not a given바카라 사이트� illegal immigration undermines not just our border controls바카라 사이트� it undermines the very fairness that is so central to our national character.
We play by the rules. We put in our fair share. We wait our turn.聽
Now if some people can just cut all that out바카라 사이트� you바카라 사이트檝e not just lost control of your borders바카라 사이트� you바카라 사이트檝e fatally undermined the very fairness upon which trust in our system is based.
That바카라 사이트檚 why this legislation is necessary.聽
To deliver an effective deterrent to those who wish to come here illegally바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o restore people바카라 사이트檚 trust that the system is fair바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트� and ultimately: to stop the boats.
And so, our Bill today fundamentally addresses the Supreme Court바카라 사이트檚 concerns over the safety of Rwanda.
I did not agree with their judgement, but I respect it.
That is why I have spent the last three weeks working tirelessly to respond to their concerns바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd to guarantee Rwanda바카라 사이트檚 safety in a new legally binding international treaty.聽
The Supreme Court were clear that they were making a judgement about Rwanda at a specific moment 18 months ago바카라 사이트nd that the problems could be remedied. 聽
Today we are confirming that they have been바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd that unequivocally, Rwanda is a safe country.
And today바카라 사이트檚 Bill also ends the merry-go-round of legal challenges that have blocked our policy for too long.聽
We simply cannot have a situation where our ability to control our borders바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd stop people taking perilous journeys across the channel바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트s held up in endless litigation in our courts.聽
So this Bill gives Parliament the chance to put Rwanda바카라 사이트檚 safety beyond question in the eyes of this country바카라 사이트檚 law.
Parliament is sovereign. It should be able to make decisions that cannot be undone in the courts.聽
And it was never the intention of international human rights laws바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o stop a sovereign Parliament removing illegal migrants to a country that is considered safe in both parliamentary statute and international law.
So the Bill does include what are known as 바카라 사이트渘otwithstanding바카라 사이트� clauses.
These mean that our domestic courts will no longer be able to use any domestic or international law바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ncluding the Human Rights Act바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o stop us removing illegal migrants.
Let me just go through the ways individual illegal migrants try and stay.聽
Claiming asylum 바카라 사이트� that바카라 사이트檚 now blocked.聽
Abuse of our Modern Slavery rules 바카라 사이트� blocked.聽
The idea that Rwanda isn바카라 사이트檛 safe 바카라 사이트� blocked.
The risk of being sent on to some other country - blocked.
And spurious Human Rights claims 바카라 사이트� you바카라 사이트檇 better believe we바카라 사이트檝e blocked those too바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ecause we바카라 사이트檙e completely disapplying all the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act.
And not only have we blocked all these ways illegal migrants will try and stay바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e바카라 사이트檝e also blocked their ability to try and stay by bringing a Judicial Review on any of those grounds.
That means that this Bill blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off.聽
The only, extremely narrow exception will be if you can prove with credible and compelling evidence바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트�.that you specifically have a real and imminent risk of serious and irreversible harm.
We have to recognise that as a matter of law - and if we didn바카라 사이트檛, we바카라 사이트檇 undermine the treaty we바카라 사이트檝e just signed with Rwanda.
As the Rwandans themselves have made clear바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트f we go any further the entire scheme will collapse.聽
And there바카라 사이트檚 no point having a Bill with nowhere to send people to.
But I am telling you now, we have set the bar so high바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hat it will be vanishingly rare for anyone to meet it.
And once you have been removed, you바카라 사이트檒l be banned for life from travelling to the UK, settling here, or becoming a citizen.聽
But, of course, even with this new law here at home바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트e could still face challenges from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
So let me repeat what I said two weeks ago 바카라 사이트撀�
I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights.
If the Strasbourg Court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트 will do what is necessary to get flights off.聽
And today바카라 사이트檚 new law already makes clear that the decision on whether to comply with interim measures issued by the European Court바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트s a decision for British government Ministers 바카라 사이트� and British government Ministers alone.
Because it is your government 바카라 사이트� not criminal gangs, or indeed foreign courts 바카라 사이트搘ho decides who comes here and who stays in our country.
Now of course, our Rwanda policy is just one part of our wider strategy to stop the boats.
And that strategy is working.
I바카라 사이트檝e been Prime Minister for just over a year now and for the first time, small boat arrivals here are down by a third바카라 사이트�.
바카라 사이트ven as illegal crossings of the Mediterranean have soared by 80 per cent.
Let me just repeat that: small boat arrivals here are down by a third.
To help achieve that, we바카라 사이트檝e signed returns and co-operation agreements with France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, and Georgia.聽
Illegal working raids are up by nearly 70 per cent.聽
50 hotels are being returned to their local communities and we are housing people in a new barge and in former military sites.聽
The initial asylum backlog is down from 92,000 to less than 20,000.
We바카라 사이트檝e returned over 22,000 illegal migrants.
And as our deal with Albania shows 바카라 사이트� deterrence works.
Last year, a third of all those arriving in small boats were Albanian.聽
This year we have returned 5,000 people and cut those arrivals by 90 per cent.
And Albanian arrivals have far more recourse to the courts than anyone under this new legislation.
That바카라 사이트檚 why I바카라 사이트檓 so confident that this Bill will work.
Lord Sumption, the former Supreme Court Judge, believes this Bill will work.聽
We will get flights off the ground.
We will deter illegal migrants from coming here.
And we will, finally, stop the boats.