I had been due for a week in Blyth Valley this week, but I was recalled to Westminster on Monday 22nd April to vote on the Rwanda bill in parliament. If passed this bill would see that people who come to the UK illegally from a safe country would be sent to Rwanda, East Africa. Our country is ready for this process to begin and has commercial charter planes scheduled and a team of highly skilled professionals in place to manage the physical removal of illegal migrants from the UK.
I read the recent article on the BBC about the overcrowded inflatable boat that was set up to illegally take 40 people including children across the channel. The traffickers allowed a last-minute influx of men to pay their way on to the boat which resulted in a crush, killing five of the people onboard. I pushed myself to read the desperate words from a father who despite great effort could not save his young daughter. This is why we must go ahead with this bill. To protect those from taking a huge risk to their own lives and that of their families. I learned of a local woman whose family was split up just before boarding a small boat from France. Herself, her husband, and young son were sent on one small boat and her two other young teenage boys were sent on another. It has been over a year and her family have never heard from her teenage boys. This is heartbreak I could never imagine.
These traffickers are criminals. They are not heroes helping the desperate to gain a better life. They are vile humans that extort money and send people across a dangerous channel and guarantee nothing. This bill is a deterrent to those who are looking to make this journey, this will be less attractive to traffickers and will ultimately save lives. When illegal migrants arrive in the UK they will be interviewed and informed that they will be taken to Rwanda for processing. They will receive accommodation, food and security. They will be safe and can still process an asylum claim as before.
The process is clear for asylum, a person in desperate circumstances can exit their country and get to their nearest safe port. From here they can apply for asylum. Home Secretary James Cleverly said teams were 'working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here', referring to it as a 'pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration. This is a complex piece of work, but we remain absolutely committed to operationalising the policy, to stop the boats and break the business model of people smuggling gangs.'
It was essential that this bill received royal assent from the King, now the government can move forward in protecting the people who live in our country, the NHS, our public services, our welfare system and in turn protect the people who truly require our country as a place for asylum.’ Finally, late into the night, the Rwanda Bill was passed- meaning illegal migrants who come to the UK will not stay.
The Conservatives are the only Party committed to stopping the boats.
