London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 14, 2025

Suella Braverman says Rwanda is safe for migrants despite evidence of 2018 killings

Suella Braverman says Rwanda is safe for migrants despite evidence of 2018 killings

Suella Braverman has insisted Rwanda is a safe country for migrants, despite evidence that 12 Congolese refugees were shot dead by police there in 2018.

When asked on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme about the shootings, the home secretary said she was "not familiar" with the case.

The government plans to send some migrants to Rwanda if they arrive in the UK through illegal routes.

The High Court has found Rwanda to be safe, Ms Braverman said.

But she acknowledged the plans were still facing a legal challenge.

She also refused to commit to a date for achieving the government's goal of stopping small boats crossing the Channel.

And it was notable that Ms Braverman would not repeat her previously stated hope of getting legal immigration under 100,000 a year - not least because there is tension in the cabinet over what is realistic.

Under the government's proposals, people who arrive in the UK through illegal routes could be sent to Rwanda on a one-way ticket to claim asylum there.

In December the High Court ruled the plan was legal, but the decision is going through an appeals process.

Ms Braverman was asked about evidence from the United Nations refugee agency, dating from 2018, that a group of Congolese refugees were shot during protests over cuts to food rations.

After being shown a video of the aftermath, the home secretary said: "That might be 2018, we're looking at 2023 and beyond.

"The High Court, senior expert judges, have looked into the detail of our arrangement with Rwanda and found it to be a safe country and found our arrangements to be lawful."

She added that Rwanda has "a track record of successfully resettling and integrating people who are refugees or asylum seekers".

The government's legislation made provisions for individuals to challenge the decision to send them to Rwanda in "extreme circumstances" of "unforeseeable, serious and irreversible harm", she said.

The Rwandan government has said the actions of the police in 2018 were a last resort and that there was violence at the protest.

Ms Braverman (centre) pictured on a visit to Rwanda last month


Last month several papers reported that a source in the Home Office had claimed there were plans to get flights to Rwanda off the ground by the summer.

But the government has not committed to a timeframe publicly.

Ms Braverman said she believed the Rwanda policy would have "a significant deterrent effect" so that people would stop making the journey across the Channel to the UK.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping small boat crossings one of his top priorities and he will be under pressure to show progress has been made before the next general election, which has to be held by January 2025.

The home secretary refused to commit to a date for achieving this goal.

She said she wanted to deliver on the pledge as quickly as possible but said the government could not control timeframes for the ongoing legal challenge over the Rwanda policy.

"There's a hearing later this month, we need to wait for the court to adjudicate," Ms Braverman said. "I can't control court deadlines and therefore we will respect any decision from the court but we have to abide by the timelines set by the judges."

Labour's shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy said the Rwanda policy was "a con trick being perpetrated on the British people", as it would most likely never materialise.

She added that it had cost the taxpayer "a huge amount of money and hasn't seen a single person go to Rwanda".

The Liberal Democrats said Ms Braverman's comments showed that the Rwanda plan was "unworkable" and "on hold".


The government has recently introduced new legislation that would place a duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country.

People removed from the UK would be blocked from returning, or seeking British citizenship in future.

The legislation is currently making its way through Parliament but still needs to be approved by MPs and peers.

The bill is likely to face opposition in the House of Lords and it could be months before it becomes law. Even after that, it could still face legal challenges.

Last October, Ms Braverman said her "ultimate aspiration" was to get net migration - the difference between the numbers entering and leaving the UK - down into the tens of thousands.

Pressed repeatedly on whether she still wanted this to happen, she said: "I support our manifesto commitment to get overall migration numbers down, including legal migration."

She added that the large numbers coming to work and study in the UK put pressure on housing, schools and health services.

"Those are reasonable concerns and we need to make sure we're getting the balance right of encouraging our domestic workforce back into the labour market and also ensuring that we do allow those highly skilled workers, those people who will come and help various sectors in our economy to thrive," she said.

Last year, UK net migration hit a record high of 504,000.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×