EU set to ‘follow Britain’s lead’ as manifesto plans to copy Rwanda-style asylum deportation deal
The EU will “follow Britain’s lead” after Ursula von der Leyen’s party has proposed Rwanda-style asylum deals with third countries.
The European Commissioner’s European People’s Party (EPP) has said it wants to “implement the concept of safe third countries”.
“Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there,” the manifesto said.
“We are committed to the fundamental right to asylum, but the EU, together with its member states, must have the right to decide whom and where it is granted.
“We will conclude agreements with third countries to ensure asylum seekers can also be granted protection in a civilised and safe way. We want to implement the concept of safe third countries.
“Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there. In case of a positive outcome, the safe third country will grant protection to the applicant on-site.”
Sunak wrote for The Mail on Sunday: “I said when I first became Prime Minister that others would recognise a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats ,and now even top parties in the EU are following our lead.“If Britain gains a global reputation for being tough on illegal migration, I am very comfortable with that. It is the right thing for our country. If Keir Starmer wants to be seen as a soft touch on securing our borders, he will soon learn the consequences of that.”
It comes after Rwanda Bill became law last week, when it was finally granted Royal Assent in the House of Lords.
The announcement has triggered the formal start of the plan to fly illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda, with flights being expected to take off in 10 to 12 weeks.
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Earlier this month, Sunak vowed to quit the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if Strasbourg continues to block attempts to get flights to Rwanda.
He said that controlling illegal migration is “more important” than membership of the ECHR, saying he would not let a “foreign court” interfere with a policy that is “fundamental to our sovereignty”.
Last week, experts at the United Nations warned that airlines flying asylum seekers to Rwanda risk breaching human rights laws.
The experts from the UN Human Rights Council issued a statement arguing that airlines should know the legal risk of deporting illegal immigrants.
“Even if the UK-Rwanda agreement and the ‘Safety of Rwanda’ bill are approved, airlines and aviation regulators could be complicit in violating internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating removals to Rwanda,” the statement said.
“If airlines and aviation authorities give effect to state decisions that violate human rights, they must be held responsible for their conduct.
“As the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights underline, aviation regulators, international organisations and business actors are required to respect human rights.”
Rishi Sunak’s ambition to implement the policy has been dealt a number of major blows in recent months, including from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court cited similar risks as it ruled Rwanda was not a safe country in its judgment on the deportation policy last year.
However, the Prime Minister subsequently pushed through measures to ensure the refoulement threat no longer applied.