Cliff Notes – Will Labour’s plan for Asylum succeed
- The Conservatives argue Labour’s proposed “returns hubs” for third country migrants validates their previous Rwanda plan, which faced UN opposition.
- Unlike the Rwanda initiative, Labour’s approach targets individuals who have exhausted all asylum options and are deemed “not in need of international protection” by the UNHCR.
- The government’s ongoing discussions highlight the complexities and uncertainties surrounding new migrant policies, amidst record Channel crossings and pressures from the right.
Labour’s plan for failed asylum seekers shows they’re willing to adopt previously unpalatable policies
The Conservatives leapt on Labour’s idea for third country migrant “returns hubs” as evidence that cancelling their controversial Rwanda plan was a mistake.
In fundamental terms, the Rwanda plan was very different, not least because it was implacably opposed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which is now – in principle at least – backing this concept.
The Tories were intending to deport everyone
The Tories were intending to deport everyone who arrived in the UK illegally to the central African country, regardless of whether they had a legitimate asylum claim.
Labour‘s plan is about dealing with people who have no such claims – who have exhausted every avenue for appeal, and therefore, in the words of the UNHCR, are “not in need of international protection”.
This important distinction is unlikely to prevent real queasiness among those in Labour who see the idea as far too reminiscent of the Conservative approach.
The government is hoping the UN’s intervention will provide a degree of legal and political cover to pursue the policy. But the details are still incredibly sketchy.