James Cleverly wants to stop every Channel crossing as part of a “mission to zero” on illegal migration, the Daily Express has learned.
The new Home Secretary has declared that Rwanda is an “incredibly important” part of the Government’s strategy to prevent small boats reaching Britain.
Mr Cleverly wants to reduce illegal migration to Britain to as close to zero as possible.
The Rwanda deportation scheme, stronger ties with European countries and more patrols on French beaches are all seen as part of efforts to stop the boats.
The new Home Secretary has faced fury from allies of former Home Secretary Suella Braverman after declaring flights to Kigali are not “the be and end all”, prompting fears of a shift after Suella Braverman’s departure from the Home Office.
And a “mission to zero” is the clearest indication yet of the Home Office’s measure of success in the battle against the smuggling gangs targeting Britain.
Up to 40 Tory MPs are poised to revolt over the ECHR’s role in the Government’s emergency legislation to get flights to Rwanda off the ground.
They want ministers to insert a clause allowing them to ignore the European Court of Human Rights amid fears Strasbourg could still block deportation flights.
One MP said: “They can’t do a deal because no one on the right believes any of them.
“The Government is soft pedalling on Rwanda in recent days because they don’t really know where they are going.”
Mr Cleverly, who also faced MPs about their concerns over net migration, has ordered a “mission to control” the number of legal arrivals, as the two issues are among the most concerning to the British public.
The Daily Express understands the new Home Secretary wants the migration system to be able to plug gaps in the labour workforce, where necessary, but not to spiral out of control.
Mr Cleverly told MPs yesterday that it must be built on “choosing the right people in the right numbers at the right pace”.
He said “the whole point of having border control” is ensuring migration can support the economy without hitting social cohesion.
He said: “Both of those things are important.
“We want to make sure that we are choosing the right people in the right numbers at the right pace and I can give the House categoric assurance that will always underpin our thinking with regard to what future changes we might make to the legal migration processes.”
Tory MPs are demanding the Government slash net migration after it hit a record high of 745,000 in the year to December.
Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis said ministers must be willing to go “further and harder, rather than just tinkering” to restore confidence in the Government’s handling of migration.
Ministers are considering raising the minimum salary threshold for migrants hoping to come to the UK on skilled worker visas.
This could be increased to £35,000 under proposals put forward by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick. The Shortage Occupation List – which allows firms to recruit foreign workers for less than the £26,000 minimum threshold – and a limit on dependents is also being considered.
But Mr Cleverly, in his first appearance in front of MPs yesterday, was forced to defend his stance on the Rwanda deportation scheme.
He insisted it is an “incredibly important part” of the Government’s response to the small boats crisis.
The Cabinet minister faced calls from backbenchers for Parliament’s “sovereign will” to take precedence over agreements like the European Convention on Human Rights if necessary.
Conservative MPs are growing increasingly frustrated over delays to the new treaty with Rwanda and want ministers to “disapply” the ECHR to new emergency legislation.
This, they say, would allow the first flights to Rwanda to take off.
Mr Cleverly – to the alarm and fury of many Tory MPs – suggested the plan to deport asylum seekers to Kigali was not the “be all and end all” of the Government’s immigration approach following a Supreme Court judgment that ruled the scheme unlawful.
The Home Secretary was asked by Tory MP Jack Brereton in the Commons whether the necessary “legal exemptions” would be in place to allow flights to take off.
“The Rwanda scheme is an incredibly important part of the basket of responses that we have. I will do everything to ensure that we drive down small boat arrivals. That is the promise we have made to the British people and that is the commitment we will deliver,” the Home Secretary replied.
Co-chair of the New Conservatives grouping of MPs, Miriam Cates, welcomed the yet-to-be-published legislation and treaty but asked for assurances it would take “precedence” over “the interpretation” of international treaties.
“I can assure my Right Honourable Friend, the excellent working relationship we have with Rwanda… will give us the opportunity to have a treaty that addresses the issues in the Supreme Court judgment,” Mr Cleverly replied.
Meanwhile, backbencher Simon Clarke declared his “profound conviction” that “disapplication of elements of the (ECHR) and the Refugee Convention will be necessary” to tackle the crossings of small boats in the English Channel.
And Mr Cleverly told MPs: “I don’t want to prejudge the content of the Bill. I’ve listened very carefully to the points that he made and he and the rest of the House should understand that we will do everything we can to ensure that we break the business model of the evil people-smugglers that he highlights, that we drive down small boat arrivals, and he is absolutely right the deterrent effect of Rwanda is a key element to that multi-strand approach.”
The Government’s flagship plan to deport Channel migrants to Rwanda was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court, throwing the scheme into disarray.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new treaty with Rwanda will be brought forward to address many of the judges’ concerns.
But this has been delayed.
And the Prime Minister came under renewed pressure on migration last week as net migration hit a record 745,000 in the year to September.
This prompted calls from many Conservatives for the Government to take a tougher stance.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick told MPs: “We believe that the level of legal migration into this country is far too high and has very profound impacts on access to public services, upon the productivity of our economy and about the ability of the UK to be a socially cohesive and united country and that is why we need to take action.
“We have already announced a specific policy with respect to dependents which comes into force at the beginning of next year.
“We think that will have a substantive impact upon the levels of net migration but as the Prime Minister has said we are keeping all options under review and will take further action as required.”
