On his first day as Prime Minister, Keir Starmer halted the controversial plan to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda. Insiders familiar with Labour Party affairs told the British newspaper “The Telegraph” that the Conservative Party’s plan to deport migrants who arrived in the UK illegally to Rwanda was “effectively dead.”
Illegal migration is set to be one of the main priorities for the new government, with a summer of small boat crossings anticipated. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to play a key role in Labour’s plans to tackle this issue, was reportedly the first world leader to call Starmer, speaking with him on Thursday evening.
New Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated on Friday that one of the government’s first duties is to “keep our borders secure,” and she will prioritize establishing a new border security leadership in her early meetings with officials.
Immigration was a significant issue during the election campaign, bolstered by a focus on the topic. However, the reform support suffered a setback as the Labour Party secured only five seats.
The Rwanda Plan
The Rwanda plan was initially announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and continued by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. It faced delays due to prolonged legal battles, with no flights having taken off yet. The plan became a major battleground in the election campaign, with Starmer pledging to abolish it.
A Labour Party insider confirmed to “The Telegraph” that the plan is now “dead.” The source stated, “If Rishi Sunak believed the Rwanda plan would succeed, he wouldn’t have called for an election. It was a ruse. By calling for an election, Sunak acknowledged this truth.”
The UK can terminate the Rwanda scheme through a breach clause allowing either government to withdraw. Under this clause, the UK government would not be required to make any further payments from the date the condition is activated.
Labour Party Victory
The Labour Party achieved a sweeping victory in the parliamentary elections on Thursday. According to polling results broadcast by British television channels, the Labour Party (centre-left) won 411 seats out of 650 in the House of Commons, significantly outpacing the Conservatives, who secured just 120 seats in their worst electoral performance since the early 20th century.
