Tory Minister Laura Farris sidestepped Sky News host Kay Burley’s question seven times about whether the government had secured an airline prepared to take deported asylum seekers to Rwanda, instead deflecting to legislative hurdles as the main obstacle to seeing the policy through.
Appearing on Sky News on Tuesday, Farris insisted “the things that are holding us back are not operational logistics” and argued that as soon as the law is passed flights “will be getting off as soon as possible.”
When pressed on “operational logistics” – the practicalities of transporting the asylum seekers to Rwanda – Farris had little to offer.
Farris: “The thing that is holding us back, Kay, are not operational logistics. We’ve been working on this for months.”
Burley: “So you’ve an airline to take people now?”
Farris: “When the legislation is through, we will be getting flights off as soon as possible. But it is not the operational logistics holding us up. It is the legislative logjam. And that’s been caused at the moment by the Lords, who have sent it back to us on more than one occasion.”
Burley: “So you do have an airline to take people? Because that’s logistics.”
Farris: “We have been planning for this for months. We are very close to being able to do this.”
Burley: “So you almost have an airline to take people?”
Farris: “I’m not going to comment on the precise details, Kay,
Burley: “But I’m not asking for precise details. I’m just saying, is there an airline that will be taking people as soon as it becomes law?
Farris: “We have operational… we are operationally very close to being ready to do this, it is not what’s holding us up. What’s holding us up is the passage of the legislation, and I hope that this will meet, you know, this will be the final week. But if I can just say one thing, Kay, this legislation is a question of fairness. We are a big-hearted nation. We’ve taken over half a million refugees since 2015 from some of the most conflict-ridden countries in the world, whether that’s Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine. The small boats are a different issue. Every single person who makes that crossing has had the journey facilitated by a people smuggler. They’ve paid money. 80 percent of them are young men. It is the first time a government has said, ‘If you arrive here illegally, you cannot remain in the United Kingdom.’”
Burley: “Not deterring them, though, is it?”
Farris: “Well, we haven’t been able to do it yet, but actually it is a deterrent… Because the reason they do it is because they believe they will get to stay here, and this is the first time we’ve been able to say… and 50 percent of people who come are allowed to stay. We will keep you safe, but we will put you in a safe third country. You’ll be relocated safely to Rwanda. And look, the will of the House of Commons is that this should go through, and we hope that the [House of] Lords are willing to accept the democratically elected…”
Burley: “And if I can just press you finally, Minister, on whether or not you have an airline in the wings that is ready to take people to Rwanda, or is it going to be the RAF?”
Farris: “Kay, I’m not going to comment on specific details, but as I say…”
Burley: “It’s not a specific detail, Minister. Have you got an airline in the wings?”
The legislative tussle over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is ongoing after the House of Commons decisively voted against all 10 amendments introduced by the House of Lords to the deportation bill. The move stripped the bill of changes aimed at addressing safety and legal concerns, reverting it to its original form.
The bill, designed to sidestep Supreme Court objections to the deportation plan, now heads back to the Lords for further consideration. Amidst internal party pressures and challenges to his leadership, Sunak remains committed to launching the first deportation flight before a general election, viewing the plan as a cornerstone of his strategy to curb unauthorised migration and bolster the Conservative government’s policy delivery.
Watch above on Sky News.
