British newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer has, on his first day in office, scrapped the deportation policy that would see migrants who arrived in the UK illegally sent back to Rwanda.
Starmer had announced in May that he would scrap the Rwanda Plan of the Conservative Party if he won the election.
In his speech, the Labour leader said he would establish a new Border Security Command to work with Border Force, MI5 and the National Crime Agency on prosecuting gangs operating minor boat routes.
The party says this new unit would be led by a former police, military or intelligence chief, who would report directly to the home secretary.
Starmer argued that scrapping the Rwanda scheme would free up £75m in the first year of a Labour government to hire hundreds of extra investigators and “intelligence agents” to mitigate the pressure of the influx of illegal arrivers in the country.
Upon winning the election, Starmer has shown illegal immigration would be a priority of the new government, with media reports indicating that Emmanuel Macron, the French president – who will be critical to Labour’s plans to tackle the issue – is believed to have been the first world leader to call Sir Keir, talking to him on Thursday night.
The Rwanda government is expected to issue a statement as early as Saturday, in which it is expected to welcome the new UK Government.
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