Rishi Sunak gives press conference after tough PMQs over Supreme Court ruling Rwanda policy unlawful
The Supreme Court has ruled Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda policy is unlawful and would have endangered those being sent to the country.
It's a massive blow to the Prime Minister, and one that will only fuel anger from the Tory right, with Suella Braverman already claiming the Prime Minister has no “credible Plan B”.
It's followed by PMQs and then a vote on a ceasefire late tonight.
'Wrong and inhumane'
SNP's Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alison Thewliss absolutely delighted with the verdict.
She says: "It is right that the Supreme Court has shut down the Tory party's cruel plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda - the policy should never have been put on the table. It is morally wrong and inhumane. "Under the Tories, there are rising numbers of people awaiting asylum decisions, safe and legal routes have been closed down, and many Home Office staff are being left without the resources they need".
Happy Days
Safe to say charities and human rights activists are absolutely buzzing, emotional scenes outside the Supreme Court.
Sonya Sceats, chief executive at charity Freedom from Torture said: “This is a victory for reason and compassion.
“We are delighted that the Supreme Court has affirmed what caring people already knew: the UK Government’s ‘cash for humans’ deal with Rwanda is not only deeply immoral, but it also flies in the face of the laws of this country.”
Never in doubt
General view among MPs, charities, and legal experts is that this verdict was inevitable.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It was clear from the get-go that the Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme was destined to fail. Not only is it immoral, unworkable and incredibly costly for taxpayers - but the Supreme Court has confirmed that it’s unlawful too. “So much time and money has already been wasted. It’s time for James Cleverly to get serious and get on with fixing the broken asylum system. “Tackling the sky-high asylum backlog and creating safe and legal routes for sanctuary will make far more progress towards that than this pet project policy ever could.”
It's not you it's Reed
Lord Reed said the “legal test” in the case was whether there were “substantial grounds” for believing that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda would be at “real risk” of being sent back to the countries they came from where they could face “ill treatment”.
He said: “In the light of the evidence which I have summarised, the Court of Appeal concluded that there were such grounds.
“We are unanimously of the view that they were entitled to reach that conclusion. Indeed, having been taken through the evidence ourselves, we agree with their conclusion.”
Try again
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer welcomes the verdict.
She said: "The government must now admit that its cruel and inhumane policy is finished and drop it.
"The new Home Secretary has the chance now to turn over a new leaf and make clear that there is no intention to quit the European Convention on Human Rights.
He should pledge to create an asylum system that works. That is one with clear, open, safe and legal routes for applicants, quick and efficient determinations and support for resettlement into local communities with properly funded local services.”
ECHR? I hardly know er
Those on the right of the party believe leaving the European Convention on Human Rights will make the Rwanda scheme workable, but given the Supreme Court verdict, that idea looks dead in the water.
Lord Reed says "it's not only the European Convention on Human rights which is relevant to this case.
"There are other international treaties which would also prohibit the return of asylum seekers to their countries of origin without a proper examination of their claims".
Tax free
So for the avoidance of doubt, the Government gave £140 million of taxpayers money to the Rwandan government for a scheme everyone told them was illegal, and then even more on legal battles they've lost.
This is a very expensive mistake.
Law and order
New Conservatives group are now holding an "emergency meeting" in parliament to figure out how to respond to the Supreme Court's ruling.
Options likely to include shouting at Rishi Sunak or shouting at Rishi Sunak.
Thunderbirds are go
Laura Kyrke-Smith, Executive Director of International Rescue Committee UK, urges the Government to focus on clearing the asylum backlog instead.
She said: “We already knew the Rwanda plan was needlessly cruel and expensive, and now the Supreme Court has ruled it unlawful too.
"This landmark judgment must serve as a wake-up call to the Government to abandon its pursuit of ineffective deterrence measures, and deliver a pragmatic, humane, and lawful asylum system instead".
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