Downing Street rebuffed suggestions from Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin that asylum seekers were now fearful of staying in the UK.
It is too early to jump to conclusions about the impact of the Rwanda plan, Downing Street has said, after the Irish government claimed it was causing an influx of migrants into the Republic.
Deputy Irish premier Micheal Martin is reported to have said the policy is already impacting on Ireland, as asylum seekers were now fearful of staying in the UK.
Ministers plan to send asylum seekers coming to the UK on a one-way flight to the east African nation, with the stated aim of deterring others from making the dangerous English Channel crossing.
The legislation ensuring the plan is legally sound, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, cleared its passage through Parliament this week and was signed into law on Thursday.
Mr Martin, who also serves as Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, is reported to have said migrants were now crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic in order to seek safety from deportation to Rwanda.
He criticised the policy during a visit to Jordan, describing it as a “knee-jerk” proposal driven by rhetoric, and expressed doubt it would have the deterrent effect the UK Government suggests.
A No 10 spokeswoman rebuffed claims the plan was already influencing movements into Ireland.
“It is too early to jump to specific conclusions about the impact of the Act and treaty in terms of migrant behaviour,” she said.
“Of course, we will monitor this very closely and we already work very closely as you would expect with the Irish government, including on matters relating to asylum.
“But of course, the intention behind the Act is to have it serve as a deterrent and that is why we are working to get flights off the ground as swiftly as possible.”
Irish ministers earlier this week suggested there had been a rise in the number of migrants crossing the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Justice minister Helen McEntee told a committee of the Irish Parliament the number was now “higher than 80%” crossing from Northern Ireland.
As in the UK, migration has become a hot button issue among some voters in Ireland, with worries about a housing shortage coinciding with a rise in the number of migrants accepted.
Mr Martin’s comments follow on the heels of French president Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of migration policies that involve sending people to African countries as “a betrayal of our values”.
Scheduling of flights to Rwanda could take between 10 and 12 weeks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, meaning the first will not begin until summer at the earliest.
Home Secretary James Cleverly has said there will be “multiple flights per month, through the summer and beyond” once they eventually get off the ground.
While scheduling flights is likely to take some time because of the procedures officials must follow, the plan could face further delays if the Government is taken to court again.
Opponents of the multimillion-pound plan, and migrants who are told they are to be sent to Rwanda, could issue legal challenges in a bid to stop the flights.
But it is unclear whether any further legal action would succeed in light of the new laws.
Too early to say if Ireland is experiencing impact of Rwanda plan, No 10 says
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26.04.2024
Downing Street rebuffed suggestions from Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin that asylum seekers were now fearful of staying in the UK.
It is too early to jump to conclusions about the impact of the Rwanda plan, Downing Street has said, after the Irish government claimed it was causing an influx of migrants into the Republic.
Deputy Irish premier Micheal Martin is reported to have said the policy is already impacting on Ireland, as asylum seekers were now fearful of staying in the UK.
Ministers plan to send asylum seekers coming to the UK on a one-way flight to the east African nation, with the stated aim of deterring others from making the dangerous English Channel crossing.
The legislation ensuring the plan is legally sound, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, cleared its passage through........
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