Day after taking charge as the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, on Saturday said that he is scrapping a controversial Conservative policy to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda.
Addressing his first news conference, Starmer said, "The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started," adding that it has never acted as a deterrent, "almost the opposite".
Though widely expected, this act marks one of the first moves of Starmer in the office. During his campaign for the 2024 UK elections, the Labour leader had said that he would ditch the plan that has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but never reaped any fruit.
Notably, the Rwanda plan was one of the showcase policies of former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a bid to curb migrants from making dangerous English Channel crossings.
However, it was plagued with challenges over human rights issues and never really managed to deport even a single person despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars in a pact with the east African nation.
A Conservative hard liner on immigration, Suella Braverman, who is a likely contender to replace Sunak as Tory leader, was critical of Starmer's anticipated plan of scrapping the Rwanda deal.
“Years of hard work, acts of Parliament, millions of pounds been spent on a scheme which had it been delivered properly would have worked,” Braverman said before the UK Prime Minister's announcement.
Starmer and his Labour Party registered a landslide victory in the UK general elections by bagging a staggering 412 seats in the Parliament.
After taking charge as Britain's 58th Prime Minister on Friday, Starmer promised that he will lead a "government of service", adding that it will get started right away to delivering change.
“Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics for public service,” he said, "work is urgent and we begin today".
He acknowledged that the lack of trust of the people can be only healed by actions and not by words, pledging that his government will treat every single citizen in the nation with respect.
“If you voted Labour yesterday, we will carry the responsibility of your trust as we rebuild our country. But whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly: ‘my government will serve you’," Starmer said.
He, however, also praised his predecessor Rishi Sunak and appreciated his achievement as the first British Asian prime minister for the UK.
"We pay tribute to that today and recognise that dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership," he added.
(With AP inputs)
