Priti Patel has said that the government’s migrant policy in Rwanda has not been declared illegal after a last-minute intervention by a European court blocked the first expulsion flight.
The Home Secretary told MPs that precautionary measures were not an “absolute bar” to the expulsion of asylum seekers who had been on the flight, and that they would be labeled as long as efforts to do so continue. .
She insisted that the Home Office would continue with the policy, which has been described as embarrassing by the Church of England and is considered “horrible” by the Prince of Wales, despite legal challenges.
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The Home Secretary accused the Labor-backed “usual suspects” of trying to “frustrate and even campaign against” the government’s efforts and the “will of the British people”.
He added that “tourists” could not block the evictions, an apparent reference to protesters who a few days ago tried to prevent immigration officials from taking a man south of London.
A plane was waiting at the Ministry of Defense airstrip on Tuesday night to take migrants to Rwanda when the European Court of Human Rights issued last-minute orders to stop the deportation of those on board.
English judges of the Court of Appeal had ruled on Monday that the flight could continue after a legal challenge by activists, who say the government’s plan to send some migrants to the East African country is inhumane. .
Ms Patel said the ECHR “did not rule that the policy or relocations were illegal, but banned the removal of three of them on last night’s flight”.
“These bans last for different periods of time, but they are not an absolute impediment to their relocation to Rwanda,” he said.
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5:28 Patel accused of “trick” of Rwanda
“Anyone who has been ordered to be released by the courts will be tagged as we continue as we move forward with their relocation.
“While this decision by the Strasbourg court to intervene was disappointing and surprising given the repeated and considered contrary judgments of our national courts, we remain committed to this policy.”
Yvette Cooper, the shadow secretary of the interior, described Rwanda’s policy as “expensive”.
“This is a disaster and it is embarrassing and the Home Secretary has no one but herself to blame,” she said.
But Ms Patel said critics had no choice but to tackle “uncontrolled immigration”.
The government argues that its Rwandan scheme will deter migrants from being exploited by human traffickers who take them on dangerous journeys across the Canal.
The interior minister said: “This government will not be dissuaded from doing the right thing.
“We will not be discouraged by the inevitable last – minute legal challenges.
“We will also not allow mobs to block removals.”
Earlier, Labor and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News that the government would appeal the European ruling and was “very confident” that the next plane chartered under the plan would take off.
Ms Coffey responded to any suggestions that the UK could withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which was set by the court, saying it was “not aware of any decision or indication or even in this regard”.
On Tuesday, when asked about the withdrawal of the convention, Boris Johnson said it “may be very” necessary to “change some laws to help us.”
But Conservative MPs have expressed frustration. One of them, Peter Bone, said: “We should retire and have our own British human rights convention.”
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Ms Patel told the House of Commons: “It is obviously worrying the opaque nature of the European Court of Human Rights’ appeal yesterday, the way in which they informed the UK government. United on one person.
“Of course, it’s right that we spend time now going back to this court to find out the reasons why they made that decision.”
Downing Street has said the government will do “whatever it takes” to ensure deportation flights to Rwanda continue and, when asked about the withdrawal of the convention, said it kept “all options on the table”.