Nigel Farage has blasted critics of the Government’s Rwanda policy after Rishi Sunak loses a key case at the High Court.
The ex-UKIP leader complained efforts by lefty lawyers and the European Court of Human Rights have thwarted the Government’s ability to fully implement Brexit.
Speaking on his GB News show tonight, Farage said: “It has been ruled that it is actually unlawful to send people to Rwanda. The whole thing is awful.”
He continued: “If people were being sent to Rwanda that would be a huge disincentive to pay your 3,500 quid or euros, whatever it may be, to a trafficker to bring you across the Channel in a rubber dinghy.
Rishi SunakPA“So far, we have spent over £140million on the Rwanda plan and not one single person has come.
“We are still subject to judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, despite the fact we voted for Brexit, and I don’t think we should be subject to that court in any way at all.
“And we are still being told that the 1951 convention on refugee status stands today but of course it was designed in very different times.”
The former Brexit Party leader added: “Unless we take really bold action which breaches international law in all sorts of ways, I just don’t see a solution.”
Ms Braverman visiting the potential migrant housing estate in Kigali, RwandaPAFarage’s comments come just hours after Sunak was dealt a major blow in the High Court.
The second-highest court in England ruled in favour of activists campaigning against the Government’s Rwanda strategy in a split decision.
Following the judgment, Lord Ian Burnett said: "The result is that the High Court's decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed - and that unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected removal of asylum-seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful.
"Finally, the Court of Appeal makes clear that its decision implies no view whatever about the political merits or otherwise of the Rwanda policy.
Nigel FaragePA"Those are entirely a matter for the government, on which the court has nothing to say.
“The court's concern is only whether the policy complies with the law as laid down by Parliament."
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: "While I respect the court I fundamentally disagree with their conclusions.
"I strongly believe the Rwandan government has provided the assurances necessary to ensure there is no real risk that asylum-seekers relocated under the Rwanda policy would be wrongly returned to third countries – something that the Lord Chief Justice agrees with.
Lord Chief Justice Burnett of Maldon (centre) and Master of the Rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos (left) with Lord Justice Fulford (right)PA"Rwanda is a safe country. The High Court agreed. The UNHCR have their own refugee scheme for Libyan refugees in Rwanda.
“We will now seek permission to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court.
"The policy of this Government is very simple, it is this country – and your government – who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
"And I will do whatever is necessary to make that happen."
Home Secretary Suella Braverman was even more scathing, labelling the decision “disappointing for the majority of the British people”.
