The Labour Party criticised the recurrent discussions
The UK is contemplating the possibility of relocating migrants who arrive in the country via small boats to Ascension Island, situated in the southern Atlantic Ocean.
Situated within the Atlantic Ocean, the isolated volcanic island lies at a distance of 1000 miles from the African coastline and 1400 miles from the South American coastline.
This proposition has been put forth as an alternative course of action should the government’s plan to deport individuals to Rwanda prove unsuccessful.
Sarah Dines, the Home Office minister, emphasised the government’s confidence in the legality of the Rwanda deportation policy.
However, she acknowledged the government’s commitment to exploring additional measures to ensure the effectiveness of their approach.
Dines highlighted the need to diminish the influence of criminal networks exploiting the system to facilitate illegal immigration.
While the high court has ruled the Rwanda policy to be legal, the court of appeal has contradicted this judgment.
As a result, the government is seeking a final decision from the Supreme Court.
Dines reiterated that the primary focus remains on the Rwanda agreement, while also acknowledging the ongoing consideration of supplementary measures.
A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak reaffirmed the government’s support for the Rwanda removal scheme.
The notion of sending migrants to Ascension Island was initially proposed three years ago following a request from the former home secretary, Priti Patel.
The idea was suggested as a means of exploring how other nations handle asylum applications.
Notably, under the original policy, individuals whose asylum claims were deemed genuine were allowed the possibility of returning to the UK.
However, the government’s Illegal Migration Act now permanently bars any individual who attempts irregular entry to the UK from returning.
Despite this, humanitarian groups, as well as refugee and asylum experts, have long advised the Conservative government to provide alternative “safe and legal” avenues for seeking asylum.
The Labour Party criticised the recurrent discussions about relocating individuals to Ascension Island, likening them to previous headline-grabbing attempts.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, dismissed other proposed strategies, such as pushbacks and wave machines, as unfeasible and criticised their continued promotion by ministers.
Dines’s remarks coincided with the revelation that an immigration detention centre near Gatwick Airport was operating at two-thirds capacity due to staffing shortages within the Home Office team.
While the centre was generally deemed well-run, concerns were raised about the treatment of vulnerable individuals.
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