RWANDA today became the latest country to declare it’s open to striking a deportation deal with Nigel Farage.
A spokesperson for the Rwandan government confirmed they would consider reviving the agreement brokered with the previous Tory administration – but only if Britain settles a disputed £50mn debt.
Rwanda today became the latest country to declare it’s open to striking a deportation deal with Nigel Farage[/caption]
The previous Tory government struck a deportation deal with Kigali, but it was abandoned by Sir Keir Starmer[/caption]
Kigali insists it is owed the cash under the terms of the deal signed by then-Home Secretary Priti Patel, which was later scrapped by Sir Keir Starmer.
Yolande Makolo told The Times: “The UK still owes Rwanda outstanding payment from the cancelled deal, clearing this first would help restore trust if the UK wished to re-introduce a partnership.”
Responding to the offer, Reform’s DOGE efficiency chief, Zia Yusuf, said: “Within 24 hours of us announcing our plan, Afghanistan and Rwanda have said they would do a deal with Nigel Farage to take illegal migrants from the UK.
“The ‘no we can’t’ brigade are seething.”
It came as Mr Farage appeared to soften his stance on deporting women and children under his illegal migrant removal plan.
The Reform leader suggested women with children could be “exempt” from deportation – but stressed this wouldn’t apply “forever”.
On Tuesday, Mr Farage had declared that his mass deportation plan would see 600,000 illegal migrants, including females of all ages, stripped of their right to remain in Britain.
Pressed on the matter again in Edinburgh, he clarified: “If a single woman comes to Britain, they will be detained and deported.
“If a woman comes with children, we will work out the best thing to do.”
Meanwhile, pressure mounted on the PM to sever ties with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which has repeatedly blocked the deportation of illegal migrants.
Senior Labour figure Jack Straw joined a growing chorus of left-wing voices urging Sir Keir to “decouple” from the international convention.
The former Home Secretary, who served under Tony Blair, warned the ECHR was being “misused” to frustrate deportations.
He said: “There is no doubt at all that the convention – and crucially its interpretation – is now being used in ways which were never, ever intended when the instrument was drafted in the late 40s and early 50s.”
Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds rejected the idea, insisting that leaving the ECHR would “make it significantly harder” to tackle the small boats crisis.
When asked if Sir Keir was burying his head in the sand, he said: “That international cooperation is critical to dealing with this issue. The people smugglers operate over thousands of miles and numerous borders.
“So what we are interested in is the hard yards of delivery on this. There isn’t a silver bullet.”
The Minister stopped short of criticising Mr Farage for describing the surge in illegal migrants as an “invasion” but said he would avoid using the term himself.
He also claimed that despite political chaos threatening the stability of the French government, the UK has received assurances from Paris that the agreement allowing small boat interceptions in the English Channel “will go ahead”.
Labour’s popularity has now slumped to its lowest in six years.
A YouGov poll put Sir Keir’s party on just 20 per cent, with Reform now leading in England and Wales.
The survey marks Labour’s worst showing since 2019.
Reform stormed ahead in the voting poll, with 28 per cent saying they’d back the party.
The Tories trailed on 17 per cent, the Lib Dems on 16 and the Greens on 11.
Reform topped every region except London, where Labour clung to first place.
