Starmer says people would not be sent back to Afghanistan under returns policy
27 June 2024 at 09:02
Labour leader says halting of asylum processing due to governmentβs Rwanda policy βabsurd and recklessβ
Keir Starmer has admitted for the first time that he would not return people to Afghanistan, after a bitter exchange in Wednesday nightβs debate where Rishi Sunak mocked him for planning to βsit down with the ayatollahsβ to negotiate return agreements.
Starmer has repeatedly said he plans to negotiate returns agreements with safe countries in order to clear the asylum backlog, which has worsened due to the governmentβs recent legislation which does not allow asylum seekers to be processed while it waits to start deportations to Rwanda.
Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images
Β© Photograph: Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images