Shabana Mahmood is drawing up a Rwanda-style scheme to remove failed asylum seekers to third countries, two years after Labour scrapped the actual Rwanda plan on the grounds that it was “a gimmick“. It turns out ‘smashing the gangs’ wasn’t a deterrent after all…
Mahmood said in an interview with the Sun:
“We are also looking at third-country hubs, returns hubs models. These are live conversations that are happening across Europe, but in other parts of the world as well… The most important thing I think in any deal that we strike now or in the future is about its effectiveness. Is it actually going to be able to do the thing that it says it’s going to do? Can it do so in a way that is compliant legally as well?…”
No deal has been announced yet. Separately Mahmood promised a “fairer spread” of asylum accommodation across the UK, echoing Burnham’s ominous comments last week. Coming to a village like yours soon…
Kemi Badenoch at the 1922-ConHome bash last night:
“I did praise [Burnham] for his stamina, it was amazing. All I had to do was sit back and lie there. I didn’t have to do anything at all…”