The Labour leader confronted Rishi Sunak during a tense Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) accusing the Prime Minister of not having “a clue” where 4,000 missing migrants have gone.
Sir Keir Starmer said that Sunak “hasn’t got a clue” where over 4,000 missing migrants who are earmarked for Rwanda have gone.
Sunak refused to be drawn into answering the question over reports the Home Office has lost contact with around 4,250 migrants.
The 4,250 migrants are to be removed from the UK and to be sent to Rwanda, a very frustrated Labour leader told MPs in the House of Commons that Sunak has “dodged” three attempts to answer the question.
Sir Keir said in his opening question, “The Government has been forced to admit that it has lost contact with 85% of the 5,000 people earmarked for removal to Rwanda. Has he found them yet?”
Sunak failed to answer Sir Keir’s question, but he told MPs that the government are dealing with the issues over migration and the Rwanda Bill.
Sunak said, “What I can tell (Sir Keir) is that in spite of him blocking every single attempt that we have taken, we have managed now because of our actions to reduce the number of people coming here by over a third last year, remove over 20,000 people from this country back to their home countries, carried out 70% more illegal enforcement raids, arrested hundreds of people, closed down thousands of bank accounts and processed over 100,000 cases, the biggest number in over 20 years.”
Sunak was then challenged again over the 4,250 missing migrants, he said, “My first thought is how do you actually lose 4,250 people?”
“Suddenly you’re reminded that, of course, this farce of a Government could lose the people it was planning to remove.”
Sunak said, “He doesn’t actually care about solving this problem,” adding, “He doesn’t have a plan.”
The Labour leader said, “Spending £400 million on a plan not to get anybody to Rwanda whilst losing 4,000 people is not a plan, it’s a farce. Only this Government can waste hundreds of millions of pounds on a removals policy that doesn’t remove anyone.”
He added, “But he still hasn’t answered the question.
“So, I’ll try again: what progress has he made in locating the 4,250 people his Government has apparently lost? He’s dodged it three times, where are they?”
Sunak tried to defend the Government’s record on immigration, he then added, “It’s a bit rich to hear him in here pretending that he cares about how we actually stop the boats when he’s been crystal clear and said that even if the plan is working to reduce the numbers, he would still scrap it.
“It’s because he has no values, no conviction and no plan, and it’s back to square one.”
Sir Keir replied, “He hasn’t got a clue where they are, has he?
“I can tell you one place they aren’t and that’s Rwanda because the only thing they’ve sent to Rwanda is Cabinet ministers.”
