Huge blow to government as Supreme Court delivers Rwanda decision - RECAP

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That brings our coverage of the Supreme Court's Rwanda decision to an end this evening.

'Shambles'

When asked if he is presiding over a “shambles” after today’s Supreme Court ruling, Rishi Sunak said his Government has done more to tackle illegal migration and Channel crossings than any other “in years”.

He added: “We are delivering. We are making strong progress. But in order to get the job done, we need the Rwanda deterrent to work and that is why we have been preparing thoroughly and carefully for all outcomes today.”

Mr Sunak later added the Government will “clear the remaining barriers” to getting “flights off the ground”.

Suggestions of 'ignoring the law'

Rishi Sunak defended Lee Anderson after the deputy Tory chairman suggested ministers should “ignore the law”, which is not part of the Prime Minister’s current plans.

He said he “absolutely” shared the “frustrations” of colleagues and people across the country over the situation.

Asked whether he would sack Mr Anderson over the remarks, Mr Sunak told a press conference at Downing Street: “I think what Lee’s comments and indeed the comments of others do is reflect the strength of feeling in the country on this issue.

“And I absolutely share actually in the frustrations that my colleagues and indeed people across the country have about this issue. Everyone should understand the strength of feeling.”

He said that once Parliament endorses his new treaty with Rwanda “my patience has run thin, as indeed the country’s patience has run thin”.

Flights to Rwanda 'by next spring'

Rishi Sunak said that ministers want to see flights to Rwanda take off by next spring.

Taking questions from reporters about whether planes would leave before the next general election, he said ministers were “working extremely hard to make sure that we can get a plane off as planned in the spring”.

Final question of the press conference

The final question of Sunak's press conference comes from a Daily Express reporter, who asks specifically how the PM will stop European intervention in the Rwanda plan.

Sunak says tackling the issue of migration "is not easy" and "won't be solved overnight" but says the government will "engage with a process of reform" with the European Court of Human Rights, and that work is already being done in that respect.

But, he says, he will not allow "a foreign court to block our ability to get these flights off", once parliament has determined that Rwanda is a safe country.

'I understand people's frustrations'

The Daily Mail's reporter suggests that Sunak is offering "more of the same" and people's patience has worn thin. Will he get flights taking off for Rwanda before the next election?

"I understand people's frustrations," says Sunak. "I'm incredibly sympathetic. I think the current system is both unfair and unsustainable."

He repeats again that he's made more progress to tackle small boat crossings than any other government.

"I'm confident we will keep making progress, but getting Rwanda working is an important part of completing the job... and legislation will help us do that," he says.

Concerns over Rwanda's human rights record

Times Radio's Kate McCann tells the PM that the Home Office itself has identified "some concerns" with Rwanda's human rights record. How can Parliament be certain that Rwanda is a safe country, if the Home Office isn't - and can Sunak guarantee that a plane will leave before the General Election?

Sunak answers that the Court of Appeal agreed with the government and received the proper assurances from Rwanda.

He also says that "Rwanda is recognised globally" as a country that welcomes migrants and has worked with the UN on taking in refugees in the past.

The new treaty will put into binding law the assurances everybody - including the Supreme Court - needs, Sunak says.

Rishi Sunak announces emergency legislation to enable Parliament to 'confirm' that 'Rwanda is safe' and end 'merry-go-round' of legal challenges

At a press conference in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: “I do not agree with this decision but I respect it and accept it. The rule of law is fundamental to our democracy. We have prepared for all outcomes of this case. And so we have been working on a new international treaty with Rwanda.

“This will provide a guarantee in law that those who are relocated from the UK to Rwanda will be protected against removal from Rwanda and it will make clear that we will bring back anyone if ordered to do so by a court.

“We will finalise this treaty in light of today’s judgment and ratify it without delay.

“But we need to end the merry-go-round. I said I was going to fundamentally change our country, and I meant it. So I’m also announcing today that we will take the extraordinary step of introducing emergency legislation. This will enable Parliament to confirm that with our new treaty, Rwanda is safe.”

'Third country principle is legal'

"The Supreme Court has confirmed the principle of returning aslyum seekers to third countries is legal", the PM says.

"This means that when we have addressed the Supreme Court concerns, people will know that if they come here illegally they will not get to stay, and so they will stop coming altogether," he says.

"This is how we'll stop the boats," Sunak adds.

'Emergency legislation'

Rishi Sunak says the government will be introducing "emergency legislation" to Parliament.

The prime minister says this will enable Parliament to "confirm Rwanda is safe", and aim to stop a stream of legal challenges blocking the policy.

PM insists progress is being made on immigration

Sunak goes on to say "we are a reasonable government and this is a reasonable country" but the "British people's patience can only be stretched so thin" - and "they expect the boats to be stoppped".

He says "whatever my critics may say, we are making progress".

He says that last December, the number of people crossing by boat had more than quadrupled in just two years, but "this year they are down by a third".

Sunak 'won't allow a foreign court to block flights'

"We may still face challenges from the ECHR [European Court of Human Rights]," Sunak says.

He adds: "I told Parliament I'm prepared to change our laws. I will not allow a foreign court to block the flights."

"I am prepared to do what is necessary to get flights off... I will not take the easy way out," Sunak adds.

He says he does not believe the ECHR was meant to stop sending people to a country deemed safe.

'We've returned more than 20,000 illegal migrants this year'

The policy is a 'necessary deterrant', says the PM. The principle of sending migrants to a third country has been upheld by the Supreme Court, Rishi Sunak continued, and once the court's issues which caused it to be ruled unlawful are addressed the government will be seeking to implement the policy.

PM 'respects and accepts' the Rwanda ruling

Rishi Sunak begins by saying he does not agree with the Supreme Cout's decision but he respects it and accepts it.

He says the rule of law is fundamental and "we've prepared for all outcomes".

We've been working on new international treaty for Rwanda, he says.

Rishi Sunak begins press conference

The PM is now behind a lectern that reads "stop the boats" and giving his statement.

Rishi Sunak's statement

The Prime Minister took to X, formerly Twitter, to say he had spoke to Rwanda President Paul Kagame. Writing: "I spoke to @PaulKagame today after the Supreme Court’s judgment.

"We reiterated our firm commitment to making our migration partnership work. While disappointed with the outcome, we'll take the necessary steps to ensure we stop the boats."

I spoke to @PaulKagame today after the Supreme Court’s judgment. We reiterated our firm commitment to making our migration partnership work.

While disappointed with the outcome, we'll take the necessary steps to ensure we stop the boats.

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 15, 2023

Suella Braverman responds to Rwanda ruling

The recently sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman has finally shared her reaction to the Supreme Court ruling saying that it is 'no surprise' that the government lost the case. She has called for the goverment to introduce emergency legislation.

On X, formerly Twitter, she wrote: "Those who - like me - believe that effective immigration control is vital must understand that they cannot have their cake and eat it: there is no chance of curbing illegal migration within the current legal framework. We must legislate or admit defeat."

Today’s Supreme Court judgment is no surprise. It was predicted by a number of people close to the process. Given the current state of the law, there is no reason to criticise the judges. Instead, the government must introduce emergency legislation. 1/3

— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 15, 2023

'More safe routes to UK needed'

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has said the government should improve the availability of safe routes to the UK for asylum seekers. A spokesperson said they “respect today’s judgment from the highest court in the United Kingdom”, with the commission having “consistently highlighted the risks” of the Rwanda policy.

The commission spokesperson said: “Following today’s judgment, we will continue to fulfil our role as a national human rights institution by offering the Home Office and the UK Government advice on their immigration policies, to ensure compliance with Britain’s equality and human rights laws, as well as the UK’s obligations under international law. It remains vital that the UK Government takes action to reduce the serious threat to human life posed by trafficking and small boats crossing the Channel. We support the Government’s commitment to reducing these risks and to establishing safe migration routes.

“However, most asylum seekers cannot access the safe routes currently available. Accordingly, we urge the Government to improve the availability of such routes, including through providing for the ability to seek asylum prior to entry, not least to reduce the demand for people smuggling.”

Home Secretary once called Rwanda plan 'batshit'

Newly-appointed Home Secretary James Cleverly privately called the Rwanda plan “batshit”, his counterpart Yvette Cooper has claimed. The shadow home secretary suggested Mr Cleverly never personally believed in the plan as she questioned him in the Commonsabout what ministers will do now the Supreme Court has ruled it unlawful.

Ms Cooper told the Commons: “I don’t believe the new Home Secretary ever believed in the Rwanda plan. He distanced himself from it and his predecessor’s language on it. He may even on occasion have privately called it ‘batshit’.”

Following laughter from Labour MPs, she added: “But he and I agree, we need action to stop boat crossings that are undermining border security and putting lives at risk. We need a properly controlled and managed system for asylum and refugees.”

As Ms Cooper made the claim, the Home Secretary could be seen sitting on the Government benches with his head lowered. Mr Cleverly did not directly respond to the claim from the Labour frontbencher when he later answered her questions.

He did, however, distance himself from calls from the Tory right for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, telling Stoke-on-Trent North MP Jonathan Gullis such a move was not “necessary” to control the UK’s borders.

Trafford MP's reaction

Stretford and Urmston MP Andrew Western also reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling on the Rwanda plan this morning (November 15). Sharing his view on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "What a colossal and inhumane waste of money and time."

What a colossal and inhumane waste of money and time https://t.co/J4WDkxC8QW

— Andrew Western MP (@AndrewHWestern) November 15, 2023

'Decency prevails'

Manchester council leader Bev Craig responded to the Rwanda ruling this morning (November 15) on social media. On X, formerly Twitter, she wrote "Decency prevails.

"The Tories always knew it would fail. Enough hateful rhetoric - a government should be running the country not playing culture wars."

David Cameron responds to Rwanda ruling

Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who is now foreign secretary, said “we must do whatever is needed” to “stop the boats”.

He said: “Securing our borders is a fundamental duty of government. We must stop the boats and tackle illegal migration. This is a priority for the British people. That is why we must do whatever is needed.”

Pressure from Tory backbenchers

Newly-appointed home secretary James Cleverly came under pressure in the House of Commons earlier from Conservative backbench MPs who pushed for a timeline for the Rwanda asylum policy going forward.

Speaking in the Commons, Dr Caroline Johnson said her constituents were disappointed by the court’s ruling, and added: “I understand his plan is to upgrade the treaty with Rwanda, can he advise the House how long will that take? Will that be potentially subject to legal challenge? And if so, how long could those legal challenges take?”

Mr Cleverly said he was not able to give certainty on timelines, and added: “I wish that I could.”

During the debate, Conservative former minister David Jones said: “He’s told the House that his department had anticipated the decision of the Supreme Court that was announced today, that being the case can he tell the House if he’s made an assessment as to whether legislation will be necessary in order to remedy the problems that have been identified? And if so, when would he anticipate being in a position to introduce that legislation?”

In response, the Home Secretary said: “We have already set in place the work to turn the MoU (memorandum of understanding) into a treaty, thus by addressing some of the concerns of their Lordships.

“The Prime Minister and I have made it clear if there needs to be legislative work domestically in order to ensure we do this, we are unafraid of bringing that forward.”

'Our MPs have strong views'

Home Secretary James Cleverly has been asked if he would disassociate himself from the Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson’s comment that the government should “ignore the laws”. He said: “This country prides itself on being a law-abiding country. To hear the Government’s position on things, listen to the statements from Government ministers.”

Meanwhile, Downing Street said it appreciates that “our MPs have strong views” on the Rwanda judgment when asked about deputy party chairman Lee Anderson’s suggestion that ministers should “ignore the law”. Mr Sunak’s press secretary said: “I think we appreciate that our MPs have strong views on this because, frankly, the country cares about this.”

Sunak speak to Rwandan President

Rishi Sunak has spoken to President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “While he welcomed the Court’s confirmation that the principle of sending illegal migrants to a safe third country is lawful, the Prime Minister expressed his disappointment at the overall outcome and recognised that there are challenges we must overcome.

“He thanked President Kagame for his Government’s work over the last 15 months and the extra assurances we have already agreed as they said they would continue to work together to address the Court’s concerns.

“Both leaders reiterated their firm commitment to making our migration partnership work and agreed to take the necessary steps to ensure this is a robust and lawful policy and to stop the boats as soon as possible.”

New Rwanda treaty within 'days'

Downing Street has said a new treaty with Rwanda would be laid in Parliament in the “coming days” that the UK Government believes “addresses concerns raised by the court”. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We will lay the treaty in Parliament in the coming days so that flights can commence as soon as possible.

“Obviously the text will be set out when it is published. I’m not going to pre-empt the text itself. But we believe it will provide the reassurances that the court has asked for.”

The No 10 official added: “The court set out a number of issues around refoulement. We plan to lay a treaty which seeks to address the concerns raised by the court. At the same time, as the Prime Minister set out, if necessary we are prepared to revisit our domestic legal frameworks and international conventions as necessary.”

But Downing Street conceded there could be further legal challenges to the Government’s Rwanda agreement despite its move to upgrade the pact to a “treaty”. Asked whether the treaty would address the outstanding issues, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I can’t predict … if there will be future legal challenges. That’s very much for the courts themselves.”

Boris Johnson wades in

Boris Johnson has urged Rishi Sunak to change the law to designate Rwanda a “safe” country. The former prime minister said on social media that there is “only one way to end the legal blockade on Rwanda”, as he linked back to an article in the Daily Mail, where he is a paid columnist.

In it, he argues that the Government has the power under the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 to ask Parliament to “deem Rwanda a safe country”.

There is only one way to end the legal blockade on Rwanda - and that is to do exactly what this piece proposes - and do it NOW. If you want to know what the government of 2019 -2022 would have done, here is your answer. It’s the only way.https://t.co/yxckzaDZfO

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 15, 2023

Labour quote Suella's letter

Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is now responding to the government's statement about the Rwanda ruling. She quotes the letter to the Prime Minister written by ex-home secertary Suella Braverman who he sacked earlier this week.

The letter claims there is no 'credible' Plan B if the flagship policy fails to get through the courts. Here's the letter in full:

My letter to the Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/7OBzaZnxr2

— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 14, 2023

'We'll do whatever it takes'

It's a big day for James Cleverly who was appointed Home Secretary earlier this week. He is now making a statement to MPs in response to the Supreme Court's ruling today that the government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is 'unlawful'.

He says that the government respects the results but says it is based on information from 15 monthsa go. Mr Cleverly says that the UK is working with Rwanda to address the court's concerns that asylum seekers could be sent back to the countries where they face persecution.

Addressing allegations by Suella Braverman, his predecessor who claims there is no 'credible' Plan B if the appeal is dismissed, he said: "We anticipated this judgement as possible result and for the last few months have been working on a plan to provide the certainty that the court demands." He added: "Nothing in the Supreme Court judgement today dims our commitment."

Home Secretary speaks

With Prime Minister's Questions finished, the newly-appointed Home Secretary James Cleverly is making a statement about the Supreme Court ruling on the government's Rwanda plan