London (Parliament News) – The UK government plans raids to locate migrants for deportation to Rwanda, while Health Secretary Victoria Atkins suggests shutting down their bank accounts to prevent them from living and working in Britain.
Raids are set to be undertaken to detain migrants to send to Rwanda under the Government’s controversial deportation plan, a Cabinet minister stated. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins also highlighted these individuals’ bank accounts could be shut down to stop them from being capable of “living and working” in Britain.
What Role Does Health Secretary Victoria Atkins Play?
She described to GB News that law enforcement agencies will be seeking asylum seekers who have failed to maintain contact with the Home Office. Responding to news that the Home Office had lost contact with thousands of asylum petitioners earmarked for deportation to Rwanda, she stated: “Law enforcement will be after these people, so that isn’t the end of the story by any means.
“We know the victory that law enforcement has had, there’s a range of actions that they can use, not just in removing 25,000 immigrants last year but also, significantly, making immigration raids and closing some 7,000 bank statements so people cannot live and work in the United Kingdom once they fall off the radar.”
How Many Asylum Seekers Have Lost Contact with Authorities?
Government documents offer thousands of asylum seekers committed by the Home Office for deportation to Rwanda have failed contact with the department. Out of 5,700 people identified for removal, 2,145 “continue to report to the Home Office and can be found for detention”, the impact assessment says.
The document, revised on the Home Office’s website on Monday, also accepts there could be further delays to deportations forced by MPs making last-minute representations to suspend removals.
What Delays Are Expected in the Deportation Process?
There is a long-standing parliamentary tradition whereby removals can be suspended until a case has been assessed and a response issued to the MP.
The review says that given the “novel nature” of the plan, “we may expect future (Migration and Economic Development Partnership) cases to draw significant attention from MPs, and responders may be dominated by cases, causing a delay or removal to be withdrawn pending a response.”
A Home Office spokesperson stated: “As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will get flights off the ground to Rwanda in the next 10 to 12 weeks. “In preparation for flights taking off, we have determined the initial cohort to be removed to Rwanda and have hundreds of faithful caseworkers ready to process any appeals.”
Why Did Rishi Sunak Abandon the Asylum Seeker Return Policy?
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak abandoned the idea of accepting the return of asylum seekers from Ireland amid worries the policy was driving migrants across the border into the republic.
The Prime Minister stated he was “not interested” in a returns arrangement if the European Union did not permit the UK to send back asylum seekers who had travelled the English Channel from France. The UK Government’s Rwanda bill paves the way for asylum seekers to be transferred on a one-way trip to the African nation, and ministers have commanded its deterrent effect as they try to prevent small boat crossings from France.