Suella Braverman: Rwanda is a 'world-beating' model on tackling migrant crisis

20 September 2023, 09:15 | Updated: 20 September 2023, 09:26

The UK's Rwanda migrant plan is a "world-beating" model on tackling the crisis, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said.

Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Ms Braverman said the focus was on stopping the use of hotels for migrants making the trip across the Channel.

She said the Rwanda scheme - intended to "detain and remove people swiftly" - could be "a model for other countries" also facing a migrant crisis.

"Ultimately, we need to be able to reduce and fix this problem," she said. "That’s why our Rwanda scheme is part of the solution.

"We need to be able to detain and remove people swiftly when they arrive here illegally."

The Home Secretary continued: "The reality is we've been frustrated in the courts.

"You saw the scenes last June – where we attempted flight but we were thwarted by legal action - we're still playing out that legal action and we will be in the Supreme Court later this year. We await the judgement of the Supreme Court.

"We’re confident in the lawfulness of our agreement – I believe it’s a world-beating agreement, I believe it can be a model for other countries on how to solve the migrant crisis and as soon as ew are able to we will work to get flights off to Rwanda.

However, Ms Braverman refused to be drawn on how long it could take for flights to Rwanda to actually happen, saying she was "beholden to the court timetable".

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Suella Braverman is confident in the lawfulness of Rwanda plans

It comes after the Home Secretary said she is also "confident" in the safety of the Bibby Stockholm barge, despite an outbreak of Legionella bacteria which caused migrants to be removed.

Ms Braverman said there was disappointment people had to be taken off the barge in August, but officials were carrying out all the "necessary checks and authorisations and once those are completed we will be re-embarking people as soon as possible".

Describing the situation as a "complex issue," she said she thought the government had "done very well to stand up the barge" and went on to explain further measures to house migrants.

Stopping boats crossing the Channel has become one of Rishi Sunak's five priorities as Prime Minister as the next general election looms.