Boris Johnson backs Tory push to IGNORE ECHR and resume Rwanda deal

Boris Johnson backs Tory push to IGNORE European human rights law and resume sending Channel arrivals to Rwanda for processing

Boris Johnson is backing a Tory push to ignore rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and resume sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Legislation being introduced in the House of Commons later is designed to heap pressure on Rishi Sunak to press ahead with the controversial policy.

The PM vowed yesterday to restart flights, part of a deal done with the Rwandan government to host Channel arrivals as applications are being processed. 

But Tory MP Jonathan Gullis – who is putting forward the Asylum Seekers (Removal to Safe Countries) Bill – said it ‘will ensure that Parliament, not unaccountable foreign judges in Europe, have the final say’.

Along with Mr Johnson, former home secretary Priti Patel is said to be backing the legislation.

Other ‘co-sponsors’ include Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and Tim Loughton.

The proposals are being introduced as a 10-minute rule Bill – a route that rarely results in an addition to the statute book.

However, it is likely to force a vote and turn up the heat on Mr Sunak over his approach to the ECHR – which is separate to the EU. 

Boris Johnson (right) is backing a push by Tory MP Jonathan Gullis (left) to ignore rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and resume sending asylum seekers to Rwanda

Mr Gullis said the Asylum Seekers (Removal to Safe Countries) Bill ‘will ensure that Parliament, not unaccountable foreign judges in Europe, have the final say’

Mr Gullis told the Telegraph the government needed powers to tackle the ‘unprecedented’ numbers of asylum seekers.

‘This will demonstrate to the public that they are serious about using the offshoring deal signed with Rwanda to deter those seeking to come into this country illegally,’ he said. 

The bid comes after Mr Sunak pledged to ‘abolish’ the backlog of asylum claims by the end of 2023.

Among a raft of new measures unveiled to curb Channel crossings, the premier told MPs ‘we expect to abolish the backlog of initial asylum decisions by the end of next year’ after hiring more caseworkers and overhauling the system for processing applications.

Within hours Downing Street appeared to downgrade the target, insisting the Prime Minister had only committed to clearing the backlog of claims made before June.

The latest published Home Office figures show in the year to September there were more than 143,000 asylum seekers waiting for a decision on their claims, with nearly 100,000 waiting more than six months.

Facing questions from MPs, Mr Sunak told the Commons: ‘Our plan is to clear the initial asylum backlog by the end of next year. It’s about 117,000 currently on published statistics.’

Later, his official spokesman told reporters the Prime Minister was committing only to getting rid of clearing a backlog of 92,601 initial asylum claims made before June, when the Nationality and Borders Act came into force.

Under the plans, Parliament will set an ‘annual quota’ of the number of asylum seekers and refugees allowed to come to the UK.

New laws will be introduced next year to make it ‘unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally, you should not be able to remain here’.

He insisted this was the ‘fair way to address this global challenge’, warning: ‘Tackling this problem will not be quick. It will not be easy. But it is the right thing to do.’

Arrivals are brought ashore by a lifeguard boat in Dungeness, Kent last week

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