Johnson defends Rwanda plan riling Tories, bishops and a prince

Bloomberg

Boris Johnson accused lawyers representing asylum seekers of “abetting” criminal gangs as he defended his plan to start deportation flights to Rwanda, a policy that has drawn condemnation from UK religious leaders, some ruling Conservative MPs and even the heir to the throne.
The UK government argues that sending migrants it regards as having arrived illegally in Britain to Rwanda — with no right to apply to return — will halt the flow of people arriving in small boats organized by people smugglers, often in treacherous conditions and with sometimes tragic consequences.
But ministers have faced a major backlash and challenges by refugee charities in the courts, while the Home Office has been forced to reduce the number of people it had intended to fly to the central African nation late Tuesday to single digits — from more than 100 — over fears of legal action.
Johnson struck a defiant tone Tuesday in a broadcast address to his cabinet. He acknowledged the criticism has come from “some slightly unexpected quarters” but said his flagship policy would not be “deterred or abashed” by the attacks, “not least from lawyers.” He later told broadcasters that while “it may take a while to get working properly,” the partnership with Rwanda is “sensible.”
“It’s very important that we continue to show the people traffickers that their business case is going to be undermined,” Johnson said. Asked if it’s time for the UK to come out of the European Convention on Human Rights, Johnson said: “will it be necessary to change some laws to help us as we go along? It may very well be, and all these options are under constant review.”

Archbishop, Prince
During a broadcast round on Tuesday morning, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the first flight to Rwanda would take off no matter how few people are on board, and that doing so represents “value for money” if it establishes the “principle” that arriving illegally in the UK will not pay off.
If the flight does leave, it will mark a seismic shift in the UK’s approach to immigration, and put Johnson’s Conservatives on a collision course with pillars of British society typically regarded as the Tories’ natural allies.
The Church of England’s most senior clergymen, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, wrote in a letter to The Times newspaper Tuesday that “this policy should shame us as a nation.” Prince Charles has called the plan “appalling,” according to the paper.
The Rwanda plan also underscores how far Johnson’s approach has shifted since he was Mayor of London and famously liberal on the issue of immigration. His path to Downing Street was enabled by the Brexit he championed — and the complex immigration debate that was central to it.
Mounting criticism of Johnson over partygate and other scandals — he barely survived a Tory confidence vote last week — is also important context. The prime minister has responded by doubling-down on controversial policies that appeal to the right of his party, including taking a hard line with the European Union on Brexit and the deportations.
Pro-Brexit Tories have backed the Rwanda plan, saying it’s the approach voters wanted when they opted to leave the EU in 2016.