Rwanda: Liz Truss responds to Prince Charles comments
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Liz Truss defended the policy which will see any migrant arriving in the UK via illegal routes transported to Rwanda for processing or resettlement. The Foreign Secretary raged at Prince Charles for allegedly having criticised the policy in a private conversation, with the royal reportedly branding the policy as “appalling” and sparking a backlash. Ms Truss insisted those criticising the policy “don’t have an alternative” after years of attempts to tackle illegal immigration failed to yield significant results.
She also said a flight scheduled to depart on Tuesday evening for Rwanda will take off regardless of legal bids to prevent those scheduled to be transported from boarding.
The Foreign Secretary said: “This is the right policy.
“And those who are critiquing it don’t have an alternative about how we’re going to break the business model of these people’s traffickers.
“We’ve seen an increase in activities by people smugglers around the world.”
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She continued: “We have found this agreement with Rwanda which enables people to have safer accommodation, a safe future in Rwanda while at the same time deterring those who are seeking to help people cross the Channel, endangering their lives.
“So it’s vital we act.”
Ms Truss has insisted “significant” numbers of people will be on one-way flights to Rwanda for asylum seekers by the end of the year.
She would not predict what the numbers will be by the end of 2022 but told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “They will be significant.”
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The UK Government struck a £120 million agreement with Rwanda to send some migrants to live in the landlocked African country.
Westminster insisted the policy is necessary to reduce the flow of migrants risking their lives in Channel crossings and destroy the people-smuggling networks.
But the plan has horrified political opponents, charities, and church leaders who say it is inhumane.
The United Nations’ refugee chief called it “catastrophic”, the entire leadership of the Church of England denounced it as an “immoral policy that shames Britain”.
The courts have thrown out last-ditch bids by human rights groups and campaigners to halt the first flight, but London’s High Court is set to hear further cases before it departs on Tuesday evening.
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