New British Prime Minister Cancels Controversial Plan to Deport Migrants to Rwanda

The new Prime Minister of the UK announced on Saturday, his first working day, that the controversial plan of the previous government to deport migrants to the African country of Rwanda has been canceled, and the new government's main focus will be on economic growth. Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, ended 14 years of Conservative rule in the country with a decisive victory in the elections on Friday, July 6. He stated on Saturday that he is 'impatient' to bring about change and that his party is tasked with advancing politics differently. Starmer began his day by holding the first cabinet meeting, which included the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, and the new Foreign Secretary, David Lammy. He smiled and, amid applause from cabinet members, said, 'We have a lot to do, so let’s get to work.' The new Prime Minister then announced at a press conference that the Conservative plan to tackle the arrival of small boats of migrants on the southern shores of Britain by deporting them to Rwanda will not continue. He told reporters in his office at 10 Downing Street in London, 'The Rwanda plan was dead on arrival. I am not willing to continue with ineffective deterrents.' With a significant increase in the number of illegal asylum seekers in the UK, the Conservative Party was under pressure to find a solution to this issue. The Conservative idea of sending these asylum seekers to Rwanda has also failed to resolve the problem. While human rights groups accused Sunak's government of violating human rights with this action, supporters of deporting asylum seekers complained that not even a single flight to Rwanda has taken place so far. Lawyers from the UN Refugee Agency have stated that asylum seekers in Rwanda, in East Africa, face the risk of forced deportation to countries where their lives are in danger. In 2023, more than 29,000 people arrived in the UK by small boats, which is less than the record of nearly 46,000 in 2022. So far this year, more than 10,000 asylum seekers have made it to the UK. Among the migrants who endure great hardship to reach the UK by small boats from France, there is a significant number of Iranians and Afghans. Sunak stated that the first flight of migrants to Rwanda would take place after the UK elections. The UK spends over three billion pounds annually to process asylum applications, and the cost of accommodating these individuals in hotels and other places amounts to eight million pounds daily for the government. Rishi Sunak, in his first debate with Keir Starmer, reiterated that if the European Court of Human Rights opposes his plan to send asylum seekers, he will withdraw from the European Human Rights Treaty, prioritizing 'national security.' In contrast, Starmer stated that a Labour government would not withdraw from international agreements and global laws, as he wants the UK to be a respected player on the world stage. Economic issues, rising living costs, increasing housing prices, the migration crisis, taxes, and healthcare issues were among the main topics in the UK election process. Starmer emphasized his commitment to the country's economic growth and unwavering support for NATO, and on his first working day, he spoke with world leaders, including Joe Biden, the President of the United States, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine. Starmer will experience his first international appearance as leader at the NATO summit in Washington next week. The Labour Party's victory in the UK elections has posed internal and intra-party challenges for the Conservatives.