James Cleverly Says The Rwanda Plan Is Legal. He Also Says It's Not

The home secretary is hedging his bets.
Open Image Modal
James Cleverly arrives in Downing Street to Cabinet earlier this week.
Future Publishing via Getty Images

James Cleverly has insisted that the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal – just weeks after admitting it’s not.

The home secretary was unequivocal about the controversial policy in the House of Commons last night.

Asked by Tory MP Tobias Ellwood whether the government’s Safety of Rwanda Bill breaches international law, Cleverly said: “As drafted, as we intend this bill to progress, it will be in complete compliance with international law.

“The UK takes international law seriously and the countries that we choose to partner with internationally also take international law seriously.”

But his comments are in contradiction to what the bill actually says.

On the first page of the draft legislation, the home secretary says: “I am unable to make a statement that, in my view, the provisions of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill are compatible with the [European] Convention rights, but the government nevertheless wishes the House to process with the bill.”

On BBC Two′s Newsnight programme last night, immigration minister Tom Pursglove struggled to reconcile the two positions.

Presenter Victoria Derbyshire said: “They can’t both be right, so which is it?”

The minister said: “The home secretary very clearly said on the floor of the house at the third reading of the debate that this legislation is in accordance with our international obligations.”

But Derbyshire interrupted him to say: “That’s not what it says on the front of the bill.”

Undeterred, Pursglove went on: “The government of Rwanda have been very clear about this as well, that they would not be willing to have a partnership with us where we are in breach of our international obligations.”

Derbyshire then said: “I’m going to pause you right there because I’m not asking about the government of Rwanda.

“You haven’t answered why there are two opposing statements - one from James Cleverly in the house today and the wording of what he has on the front of his bill.”

The minister replied: “We are very clear, and the home secretary said, that this legislation is in accordance with our international obligations.”

 

Sunak last night saw off a Tory rebellion to win a crunch Commons vote on his bill, which will now be debated in the House of Lords.