Agreeing on an international treaty and enacting emergency domestic laws to make the Rwanda plan legally watertight will take "days rather than weeks", UK Home Secretary James Cleverly has said.
The government's proposal to send some asylum seekers arriving in the UK to the African nation was ruled unlawful by Britain’s highest court on Wednesday.
The UK currently has an agreement with Rwanda that it plans to upgrade to a treaty, Mr Cleverly said.
He told Times Radio on Thursday: "That can be done very, very quickly because we have been working on it for some time.
"And the Prime Minister has committed to making sure that we get this emergency legislation into the House [of Commons] quickly.
"The whole process won't necessarily be done and dusted just in a few days, but the actual parliamentary process can be that quick."
Mr Cleverly said the government was "absolutely determined" for a flight to Rwanda to take-off before the general election expected next year.
Asked to guarantee that would be the case, he said: "We're absolutely determined to make that happen."
But he admitted "the time scales that we are looking at can vary depending on circumstances".
"We are working to get this done as quickly as possible."
His comments on Thursday came after he said there was “clearly an appetite” for the country’s Rwanda concept, after several countries in Europe showed an interest in the scheme, including Italy, Germany and Austria, after the court's judgment.
The ruling has delivered a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's immigration policy to “stop the boats”, which he launched after 45,755 people arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel illegally in 2022. The number has fallen by about a third in 2023 compared to the same period last year.
The decision means forcibly removing asylum seekers to Kigali, Rwanda's capital, remains prohibited. Before the ruling, the Conservative flagship policy had been stalled by more than a year of legal challenges.
Mr Sunak told MPs he would work with Rwanda to take account of the judges' concerns and finalise a new plan.
He said he would consider changing the law to allow deportations to take place.
“If it becomes clear that our domestic legal frameworks or international conventions are still frustrating the plans at that point, I am prepared to change our laws and revisit those international relationships,” he said.
Mr Cleverly said the UK’s partnership with Rwanda, “while bold and ambitious, is just one part of a vehicle of measures to stop the boats and tackle illegal migration”.
He said across Europe "illegal migration is increasing" and governments are following the UK's lead.
"Clearly there is an appetite for this concept," Mr Sunak said. "Across Europe, illegal migration is increasing and governments are following our lead – Italy, Germany and Austria are all exploring models similar to our partnership with Rwanda.”
Mr Cleverly later told the Commons: "What we have now seen is other countries are indeed now also exploring third-country models for illegal migration, including Austria, Germany, Denmark and Italy in their deal with Albania – a new and innovative model for processing asylum claims."
Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner this month said his country was “highly interested” in Britain’s plan to move asylum claims off its territory.
“We in Europe do not yet have the legal possibilities,” he said after former home secretary Suella Braverman visited Vienna to brief Austrian officials on the Rwanda plan.
UK government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is ruled unlawful - in pictures
Mr Karner called for “massive pressure” on EU countries to change the law.
He claimed there was a “widening alliance” of EU members interested in Austria’s proposals. The landlocked country has taken a hard line on migrants arriving from countries such as Tunisia and India.
“We believe it is the wrong signal to send out to people that if they make it to Lampedusa [in Italy] and arrive there, they will be distributed across Europe,” Mr Karner said.
“We believe it would only invite people to start this dangerous journey and further increase migration. We believe that the approach pursued by the UK is therefore very important.”
Mr Cleverly told MPs the government had "anticipated the judgment as a possible result" and had for the past few months been "working on a plan to provide the certainty that the court demands".
"We have been working with Rwanda to build capacity and amend agreements with Rwanda to make clear that those sent there cannot be sent to another country than the UK.
"Our intention is to upgrade our agreement to a treaty as soon as possible. That will make it absolutely clear to our courts and to Strasbourg that the risks laid out by the court today have been responded to, will be consistent with international law and ensure that parliament is able to scrutinise it."
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Company%20profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The years Ramadan fell in May
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
