Labour will not deport a single asylum seeker to Rwanda, Yvette Cooper confirms

30 comments

1. Huh, I think that’s the first Tory policy I’ve seen them actually promise to scrap. Fair dos.

2. Well that should save us some money anyway. Its a start.

3. Spoiler alert: neither will the Tories. But for entirely different reasons.

4. “We are ditching an expensive and poorly implemented plan that is unpopular with a large segment of our voters”

   They are not announcing a policy to win or lose votes. They are simply ditching something that will make them look incompetent in government trying to make it work. This is more about clearing the decks to get into government and get working than the election, though the Tories will try to make out that this is the greatest policy on immigration in decades and Labour are against it. Its not a policy that will shift votes in the middle income marginals that would decide a close election so its not important other than to try to stave off the worst seat losses in a landslide, (again not win the marginals).

5. and i hope close the whole stupid idea, and all close all the shonky Tory (donor) owned businesses that were benefiting from the billions ‘spent’ on the idea.

6. What are they going to do instead then? People seem to still not understand this isn’t about deporting people but sending a message to stop them coming in the first place. How much are we spending housing this people? Providing healthcare? And it’s been shown time and time again, people who fail to get asylum don’t leave anyway. Once they’re here they stay and we can’t do anything about it.

7. Anchor a cruise ship and keep them on board until processed.

8. Is it really deporting if your getting one back it’s more like take a migrant leave a migrant

9. There’s an abandoned island off Scotland that hasn’t been lived on for over 100 years.

   Why don’t we use that island instead?

10. I’m all for that if Labour has plans to actually deal with the immigration problem. Workable stuff like increasing the funding and manpower for processing and a solution that circumvents the ridiculous human rights issue of not being allowed to send them back to point of origin. Something that *works* and has a measurable impact.

    Rwanda is a boondoggle, I think everyone realises that. But most voters of all stripes aren’t rose-tinted kumbaya singers who think we should just fling our arms wide and let *everyone* in, either. Importing fundamentalist Islam concerns people. Pressure on services concerns people. Homelessness, crime, etc. All things caused or worsened by Tory austerity, but exacerbated by rampant and uncontrolled immigration.

    People want a solution – if Rwanda looks like one, people will vote Tory, on the cusp of finally getting rid of the Victorian robber-barons. So it’s all very well to say, we won’t deport anyone to Rwanda – good, so what *will* you do? What’s the plan?

11. Neither will the Tories tbh, it’s been held up long enough

12. So what, just keep letting them in until the whole rotten structure collapses? Do they travel thousands of miles just to be homeless here?

13. So, the native population who wants less imagination and a stop to illegal immigration is to be denied? This is the one point that is contrasty not being addressed by the powers that be

14. FFS I was just set on voting Labour and then someone comes out with this…

    What are you going to do about it then? Tell me.

15. The boat people and Asylum seekers are two separate issues.

    What does Labour plan to do about the boat people?

16. And labour will not be getting my vote then… simples.

17. As long as they actually deport them home and dont let them stay in the country for years appealing until the Home Office just grant them leave to stay to get them out the system.

18. Of course they won’t. Labour is going to give them social housing and the vote.

19. Why can’t we just close our borders to people who barely speak English and have incompatible culture and religion.

20. Great, but, Labour needs to have SOMETHING to tackle the migrant crisis, words and rhetoric aren’t going to solve anything.

21. “Labour will do nothing, lmao.” And this is news to who?

22. Labour won’t be deporting their future voters. What else is new.

23. Labour trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again I see.

24. So then are they all welcome as envisaged by Tony Blair when he made it possible ?

25. Get a plan labour. Can’t just say we won’t do what they do. It’s childish.

26. There are 2 too many words in that sentence. “To” and “Rwanda”.

27. How has no party read the room yet and just started turning every single boat around?

    We live on a bloody island.

28. Seems to me UK should work to exert mass pressure on France, offer to patrol their coasts if they won’t, with the money wasted on Rwanda you could do a lot more. While the idea of a deterrent is good, the numbers and cost per person to send them to Rwanda is completely stupid.

29. They should be housed in Brexit towns until they can be sent back to they came from!

30. Why do politicians insist on just opening their mouths without thinking.

    This might be unpopular with some, but if it works, it will quickly become very popular same Labour will be known as the party of broken promises.

    She could have waited to see the results before commenting as there is no rush or reason to say that now