Sunak backs Braverman's threat to leave ECHR as migrant crisis spirals
A date has been set for the supreme court hearing on the UK's plan to send migrants to Rwanda
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Rishi Sunak is said to have backed Suella Braverman's threat to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, as pressure mounts on the Government to tackle the migrant crisis.
Suella Braverman has been a vocal critic of the ECHR, giving a speech this week in which she called for world leaders to rip up its sister document , the UN Convention on Human Rights.
She hinted at the idea of withdrawing from the ECHR, a move which was approved by No 10.
It was revealed this week that a date has been set for the Supreme Court hearing on the UK's plan to send migrants to Rwanda.
WATCH: Braverman calls for world leaders to scrap UN Refugee Convention
But Rishi Sunak is braced for a cabinet civil war if the courts block the plan, as the Prime Minister would then have to weigh up whether or not to withdraw from the ECHR - an extremely divisive issue in his cabinet.
The Prime Minister has consistently demonstrated a reluctance to withdraw from the convention, but sources told the Times he is becoming increasingly inclined to do so as the election gets closer.
The hearing will begin on October 9 - with the ruling expected to be delivered in November.
If the court rules against the Government - ruling that deportations to Rwanda are unlawful - Sunak will face mounting pressure from the right wing of the Tory party to withdraw from the ECHR.
But this could trigger resignations from more moderate ministers in his cabinet, who do not support taking the nuclear option.
In her speech, delivered in Washington on Monday, Braverman demanded world leaders rip up the UN Refugee Convention and instead introduce a migration regime "fit for our modern age".
She said: "Seeking asylum and seeking better economic prospects are not the same thing."
The Home Secretary said "simply being gay, or a woman" should not by itself be enough to qualify for protection under international refugee laws.
She added: "Let me be clear, there are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman. Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary.
"But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection."
The Home Secretary said that refugees cannot be allowed to "shop around" for safe havens, arguing that the convention is being interpreted as providing a right to asylum to those who face discrimination, rather than persecution.
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Braverman demanded world leaders rip up the UN Refugee Convention and instead introduce a migration regime "fit for our modern age"
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As a result, she claimed that as many as 780 million extra people are eligible for resettlement.
"Nobody entering the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent peril", she said, adding: "There is an argument that they should cease to be treated as refugees when considering the legitimacy of their onward movement."
Hitting back at the Home Secretary's upcoming speech, her Labour counterpart Yvette Cooper said: "The Home Secretary has given up on fixing the Tories’ asylum chaos at home so now she’s resorting to grandstanding abroad and looking for anyone else to blame."