UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this morning reaffirmed the government’s commitment to initiate deportation flights to Rwanda within the next 10 to 12 weeks during a press conference, according to reports. The PM made the announcement acknowledging a delay in their implementation.
“The first flight will leave in 10 to 12 weeks. Of course that is later than we wanted but we have always been clear that processing will take time…” said Sunak.
PM attributed the delay partly to opposition efforts, said, “if Labour peers had not spent weeks holding up the [Rwanda] Bill in the House of Lords to try to block these flights altogether we would have begun this process weeks ago.”
The Chancellor emphasized the government’s resolve, asserting, “No ifs, no buts, these flights are going to Rwanda.”
The Rwanda Bill, subject to ongoing parliamentary debate, returns to the House of Commons and House of Lords today for final deliberation. Sunak indicated that MPs and peers will engage in discussions until consensus is reached on the Bill’s passage.
Reacting to Sunak’s statements, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticized the government’s efforts, said, “No amount of sound bites or spin can change the fact that the Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme is a colossal failure. Millions of pounds and years of government attention have already been wasted, with absolutely nothing to show for it.”
Davey called for a change in approach, urging Sunak to take charge and even suggesting a general election.
Regarding the broader issue of migration, Sunak highlighted efforts with Albania, citing the return of thousands of illegal migrants in 2023 under a bilateral agreement. However, specific figures on small boat arrivals and returns remain uncertain.
Sunak acknowledged the complexity of the deportation scheme, describing it as “one of the most complex operational endeavours the Home Office has carried out.”
During the press conference, the Home Office released new asylum statistics, revealing a significant backlog of cases requiring removal from the UK. The government faces legal constraints on processing claims from those who arrived illegally after July 2023.
As of April 14th, the backlog reached 51,926 cases, up from 39,016 in February, with 1,297 forced removals conducted in 2024 (excluding those covered by the Albanian returns agreement).
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