Cleverly says UK not paying extra money to Rwanda specifically linked to new treaty
Q: How much extra money has the UK paid Rwanda?
Cleverly says the Rwanda government has not asked for, and the UK has not provided, any funding related to the treaty.
But the deal reflects costs that may be imposed on Rwanda as a result of the partnership.
Dealing with migration is important, and is not cost-free. But it is the right thing to do, he says.
Rwanda is helping the UK in its fight against illegal migration, he says. They are doing so “professionally, thoughtfully” and as a partner working on a global challenge.
Key events
Q: Will Rwanda remain committed to this even if there are further delays?
Biruta says Rwanda is committed to this partnership.
Cleverly says UK not paying extra money to Rwanda specifically linked to new treaty
Q: How much extra money has the UK paid Rwanda?
Cleverly says the Rwanda government has not asked for, and the UK has not provided, any funding related to the treaty.
But the deal reflects costs that may be imposed on Rwanda as a result of the partnership.
Dealing with migration is important, and is not cost-free. But it is the right thing to do, he says.
Rwanda is helping the UK in its fight against illegal migration, he says. They are doing so “professionally, thoughtfully” and as a partner working on a global challenge.
Q: Were you offended by the supreme court ruling?
Biruta says before the judgement Rwanda had been accepted as a legitimate partner. He implies the ruling was a surprise. But he says that in life there is always room for improvement.
Rwanda treaty addresses all concerns raised by supreme court, Cleverly claims
Cleverly and Biruta are now taking questions.
Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, goes first.
Q: You are not the first home secretary to come here. What makes you think this time will be different? And are you confident flights will happen?
Cleverly says the UK has been working with Rwanda on a range of issues, including the migration partnership. The Rwandan government has shown an “energy and a professionalism”, and a desire to work with the UK, he says.
He says he wants this part of the migration plan up and running as soon as possible.
The treaty addresses all the points raised by the supreme court, he says.
The UNHCR regards Rwanda as a credible, long-term partner, he says.
And he says the terms of the treaty will be reflected in domestic legislation soon.
Cleverly says Rwanda has made ‘strong commitment’ to safety of asylum seekers
Cleverly starts by saying that he knows Biruta from his old job as foreign secretary. He says he has found Biruta, and the Rwandan government in general, as “professional, thoughtful and serious partners on the world stage”.
Cleverly says Rwanda has shown itself to be a country that is serious about dealing with asylum seekers.
He says the economic development partnership part of the deal is important. The UK wants to address the factors that led people to travel abroad, he says.
Rwanda has made a “strong commitment” to the safety of asylum seekers, he says.
This is an important point because the supreme court ruled the deportation policy illegal on the grounds that Rwanda was not safe.
Cleverly holds press conference with Rwandan foreign minister after signing new deportation treaty
In Kigali James Cleverly, the home secretary, has just signed the new treaty with Rwanda. The foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta signed on behalf of the Rwandan government.
The two ministers are now holding a press conference.
Junior doctors in England to stage more strikes
Junior doctors in England are to stage more strikes after talks between the government and British Medical Association broke down, the union has said.
No 10 plays down concerns new £38,700 family visa income threshold too restrictive
If the immigration plan announced yesterday was a budget, the bit most in danger of “unravelling” would be the huge increase in the minimum salary threshold for family visas. The Daily Telegraph is normally an enthusiastic supporter of immigration crackdown, but last night there was a lot of interest on X in these tweets from Tim Stanley, a writer on the paper, complaining about the policy.
A friend has just messaged in a blind panic to ask if @JamesCleverly’s immigration plan means he can’t bring his partner into the country.
The Gov is doubling the salary required of a British subject to bring a spouse or dependent into the country – to £38,700. 🧵
— Tim Stanley (@timothy_stanley) December 4, 2023
So, if you fall in love & marry someone from overseas, that’s the income you need to settle them here. It’s very high. Something like 75% of us earn less than that.
Is it fair to limit family formation to the rich? Is it conservative potentially to divide families?
— Tim Stanley (@timothy_stanley) December 4, 2023
It is telling that this is the one element in the package about which Labour is most critical. This morning Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said this morning that this plan could have an impact “on British citizens who fall in love across borders” and she said the new £38,700 threshold should be reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee. (See 11.21am.)
At the lobby briefing this morning the PM’s spokesperson implied that the new rule was not as restrictive as some people implied.
He said that the £38,700 threshold applied to the household as a whole, and not just the individual bringing a dependant to the UK, and he said people would not necessarily need to earn this amount every year. He explained:
They can also demonstrate this through their level of savings.
If you don’t meet the minimum income requirement, you may also be able to bring a dependant to the UK if you get certain benefits, for example disability living allowance.
The spokesperson also said that in exceptional circumstances the threshold could be disapplied.
The family immigration rules contain a provision for exceptional circumstances where there would be unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, a relevant child or another family member if their application were to be refused.
And he also said that some people affected by the new rule might be able to apply for another sort of visa, such as a student or a skilled worker one.
At the morning lobby briefing No 10 also rejected suggestions from the care home sector that preventing people with care visas from bringing dependants to the UK would stop people applying. The PM’s spokesperson said:
Through work with the Home Office and the Department of Health, we believe that there will still remain high demand for these roles even with these changes, which are necessary.
No 10 says it is not considering annual cap on immigration numbers ‘at this point’
Downing Street said this morning that it was not considering introducing an annual cap on immigration numbers “at this point”. Asked about Robert Jenrick’s comment this morning saying there were “merits” in the idea (see 9.41am), the PM’s spokesperson said:
I think we’ve set out the toughest approach to tackling legal migration and bringing the numbers down.
What we said is that we are not prevented from going further should we wish to do and I think that’s what the immigration minister was emphasising this morning.
At the moment our belief is that having full control of our immigration system ensures we’re able to prioritise the skills and talent that are needed to grow the economy, support the health and care sector. We think the approach we set out yesterday achieves that and we aren’t considering a cap at this point.
James Cleverly, the home secretary, is due to take part in a signing ceremony in Kigali shortly to agree the new deportation treaty with Rwanda. He took part in this morning’s cabinet meeting virtually, and told colleagues “the treaty was the culmination of months of work”, No 10 said at the morning lobby briefing. Cleverly also said the treaty meant “we now have the strongest possible agreement with Rwanda and one which goes far beyond that of the UNHCR’s with Rwanda”, No 10 said.
Nigel Farage, the former Ukip and Brexit party leader, is viewed by ITV bosses as one of the most boring participants they have had on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, the Daily Mirror claims in its splash.
Presumably this won’t bother the Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis. Last night he told GB News that he would like to see Farage in the House of Lords as a Tory peer and serving in government as home secretary.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, told BBC Radio Scotland this morning that the government’s immigration crackdown would wreck the economy. He said:
I think it’s absurd, I think it’s ignorant, and it’s going to wreck the economy because we know that migrants contribute more to the UK Treasury than what they take out.
James Cleverly, the home secretary, thanked Rwandans for showing him the “pain” they went through as he visited a genocide memorial, PA Media reports. PA says:
Cleverly was shown around the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which honours the hundreds of thousands of victims of the 1994 atrocity.
He follows in the footsteps of predecessors Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, who both made private visits to the site during their trips to Rwanda over the last 18 months.
After seeing a memorial garden and historical exhibits accompanied by centre staff, Cleverly signed a visitor book with a message saying: “Thank you for helping me see the pain you went through, but also the commitment to peace that you have chosen to make. We must never forget, but must learn, grow and work to a better future.”
