Rory Stewart has criticized the announcement that asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda as “very strange and very worrying”, adding that he did not believe anyone would actually be sent there. “I do not like what they are doing in Rwanda, I think they are neutralizing a British problem and trying to put it out of their sight and out of their minds,” said the former African minister. “It’s very strange and very disturbing. “I was in Rwanda two weeks ago. There are many positive things, as you know, about Rwanda. “It comes from a genocide, it has gone through an excellent process of national healing, but it is also an authoritarian state.” Elsewhere, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that co-operation with Rwanda would be “in full compliance with our international legal obligations”, while insisting that it was “one of the safest countries in the world”. “But we still expect this to be challenged in the courts,” Johnson added, as he struck what he called “a formidable army of politically motivated lawyers.”

Basic points

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UN urges governments to refrain from “externalizing” asylum seekers

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged governments to refrain from “externalizing asylum seekers” in the wake of the UK announcement of a Rwandan immigration plan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) wrote on Twitter: “The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) strongly opposes the externalization of asylum seekers in other countries. We call on governments to abstain. “People who seek safety and protection, who have few alternatives, should not be punished.” Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 19:55 1649961317

The deadline to register to vote in the UK local elections in May is midnight tonight. You can register by clicking on the link here Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 19:35 1649960212

Ministers have prepared for legal challenges over plans that have been widely criticized for forcibly sending Rwandans to the tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving in the UK on unauthorized Channel crossings. Boris Johnson insisted that his plan to detain and deport migrants for more than 4,000 miles in East Africa at the expense of the taxpayer was not “draconian and devoid of compassion.” But both the prime minister and Pretty Patel said on Thursday they were ready to fight efforts to use the courts to thwart plans by critics of the refugee charity. Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 19:16 1649958660

See: Eight-day clip shows Home Secretary refusing UK to send refugees to Rwanda

Eight-day clip shows Home Secretary refusing to send UK refugees to Rwanda Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 18:51 1649957242

The United Kingdom will send asylum seekers to Rwanda despite providing protection to dozens of countries that have left over the past decade

The United Kingdom is set to send thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda for treatment, despite providing protection to dozens of people who have fled the country over the past decade. The first people to relocate to Rwanda under the deal will receive formal notifications within weeks, the government said, with the first flights expected to take place in the coming months. The plans have drawn sharp criticism from refugee charities, rights groups and politicians, with the Refugee Council calling them “cruel and ugly” and Amnesty International expressing concern over the nation’s “sad human rights record”. My colleague Chiara Giordano has more: Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 18:27 1649956259

The government is “conceding a British problem” to Rwanda, says Rory Stewart

Former Cabinet Secretary Rory Stewart said the announcement that asylum seekers would be sent to Rwanda was “very strange and very worrying”, adding that he did not think anyone would actually be sent there. “I do not like what they are doing in Rwanda, I think they are neutralizing a British problem and trying to put it out of perspective and out of their minds,” he said, adding that he did not believe in open borders. “I like the way they do it, but I think there is an argument for what the government is trying to do.” The former African minister said: “It is very strange and very worrying. “I was in Rwanda two weeks ago. There are many positive things, as you know, about Rwanda. It has come out of a genocide, it has gone through an excellent process of national healing, but it is also an authoritarian state. “But I think the most impressive thing about it is that we are actually exporting our problems to another country and I think it is very strange to do that in Rwanda because Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world.” Asked if he thought the plan was a ploy and if anyone would actually be sent to the East African nation, Stewart said: “I think you put your finger on it. I think it is extremely unlikely that anyone will really go. I think the details have definitely not been worked out. “And I’m very suspicious that they made this announcement to divert attention from the Covid parties and the prime minister’s fines and lies in parliament.” Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 18:10 1649955136

Former Home Secretary criticizes Rwanda’s plans as ‘morally reprehensible’ and ‘possibly illegal’

A former secretary of the interior ministry described the Rwandan government’s immigration program as “inhumane”, “morally reprehensible”, “potentially illegal” and potentially “unenforceable”. Speaking to the BBC’s Newsnight program, Sir David Normington said: “Well, let’s assume it actually happens because there are a lot of obstacles to overcome and the Prime Minister has acknowledged it – so it is not going to solve a problem very quickly. “But let’s assume it happens and the government takes it seriously. “My assessment is, first of all, inhuman. It is morally reprehensible. It is probably illegal and may well be unenforceable. He continued: “These are probably victims of repression in their country – certainly traffickers and smugglers. “And soon they will fall victim to the British government giving them a one-way ticket to a country they do not know, do not want to go, can not speak the language and will stay there. “Whatever we think about the problems of immigration and asylum in this country, treating people like that is simply unacceptable.” Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 17:52 1649954416

Former Toris MP Imran Ahmad Khan resigns from parliament after being convicted of sex

Former Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan has announced that he is stepping down as Wakefield MP after being convicted of a sex offense. His resignation sparked explosive midterm elections in West Yorkshire, one of the traditional Labor strongholds in the so-called Red Wall that fell to Boris Johnson’s Tories in the 2019 general election. The competition will be a crucial test of Sir Keir Starmer’s ability to win the Red Wall again and the extent to which the prime minister’s appeal has been marred by his police fine for a 10 Downing Street lockdown breach party. Here is more from our political editor Andrew Woodcock: Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 17:40 1649953655

Dianne Abbott calls Priti Patel ‘shame’ on Rwanda’s immigration program

Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 17:27 1649952935

About 54% of Britons believe that Boris Johnson should resign as Prime Minister, according to a new Ipsos poll

Emily Atkinson 14 April 2022 17:15