Rishi Sunak has been told it is a “moral imperative” that Afghan heroes who have supported
British troops are not deported to Rwanda . The prime minister has been urged to back an amendment to the Rwanda deportation bill that would exempt anyone who supported British armed forces in an “exposed or meaningful manner” from being deported to the African country. Shadow
immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said it “beggars belief” that the PM is considering sending Afghan heroes to the east African nation. “We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have supported our defence , diplomacy and development abroad, not least in
Afghanistan,” Mr Kinnock said. The call to help those who supported
UK forces comes after a series of reports by The Independent which have highlighted the plight of Afghan heroes facing deportation to Rwanda after feeling forced to take dangerous routes to the UK. And it came as MPs began debating the 10 amendments peers attached to Mr Sunak’s flagship immigration policy, the Safety of Rwanda bill. It is designed to allow ministers to deport those who arrive in the UK via irregular routes, such as on small boats, to Rwanda. After an earlier bid to deport asylum seekers to Kigali was ruled unlawful by the
Supreme Court, Mr Sunak is now seeking to rule Rwanda a safe country in British law. But peers have added 10 amendments to the bill, designed to add protections for asylum seekers such as those who supported the UK forces sent to fight the Taliban. It is likely ministers will see all of the amendments voted out of the bill before passing it back to the House of Lords unamended in a process known as ping pong. Peers will then be able to pass fresh amendments, but the government will again try to strip them out. Mr Kinnock said on Monday: “It beggars belief that the government would even consider sending this cohort of heroes who are fleeing the
Taliban to Rwanda. “Britain’s commitment towards these loyal-to-Britain Afghans is felt most strongly by our own armed forces. “But this government has continually shirked its responsibilities towards Afghans, including by leaving thousands of those with the right to be in the UK stranded in
Pakistan for more than a year. “Little wonder that they have resorted to making these desperate journeys across the channel.”
Labour will back all 10 Lords amendments in the Commons, Mr Kinnock said, claiming they made the Bill "marginally less absurd". Home Office minister Michael Tomlinson said the government “greatly values” those who supported Britain’s armed forces overseas. “That is why there are legal routes for them to come to the United Kingdom,” he added. Mr Tomlinson said the illegal migration act passed by parliament last year lets the home secretary specify some people as not eligible for removal. He added: “The government recognises the commitment and the responsibility that comes with combat veterans, whether our own or those who showed courage by serving alongside us and we will not let them down.” He also insisted there is nothing in the Rwanda bill which conflicts with the UK government’s international obligations. Mr Tomlinson told the Commons: "This Bill is an essential element of our wider strategy to protect our borders and stop the boats to prevent the tragic loss of lives at sea caused by dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings across the Channel." On amendment one, which seeks to ensure the Bill complies with domestic and international law, Mr Tomlinson said: "I don’t accept that the provisions of the Bill undermine the rule of law, and the Government takes its responsibilities and its international obligations incredibly seriously. "And there’s nothing in the Bill that requires any act or omission which conflicts with our international obligations." He added: "This Bill is based on both Rwanda’s and the United Kingdom’s compliance with international law in the form of a treaty, which itself recognises and reflects the international legal obligations of both the
United Kingdom and also of Rwanda."