THIS WEEK I voted once again voted for the Safety of Rwanda Bill – new laws which will pave the way for illegal migrants who have no right to be in the UK to be removed from our country.
The Government is making significant progress in stopping the arrival of small boats, with crossings down by 36 per cent in 2023.
Last year, the Government prevented 26,000 crossing attempts. The small boats deal with Albania led to a 90 per cent fall in crossings and cleared the asylum legacy backlog. Being able to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda is an essential deterrent and part of our full toolbox to stop the boats.
The Bill makes it clear that, if you come here illegally, you will be detained and swiftly removed to Rwanda or another safe country.
Once the new laws are fully operational, I want to see flights taking off to Rwanda as soon as possible, acting as the deterrent we need to stop anyone thinking of entering our country illegally.
We will remain a generous and compassionate country by continuing to welcome genuine refugees, just as we’ve seen in recent years by welcoming refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Syria.
I said I vote for tough measures to tackle illegal migration and to stop the boats and I’ve done just that.
Rachel Maclean
Redditch MP
