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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Robert Jenrick quits as immigration minister after Rwanda bill published | Robert Jenrick quits as immigration minister after Rwanda bill published |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Jenrick cites ‘strong disagreements’ with direction of policy, after legislation did not seek to allow overriding of international law | |
| The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, has quit, just hours after the prime minister tabled a bill to save the Rwanda deportation policy. | The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, has quit, just hours after the prime minister tabled a bill to save the Rwanda deportation policy. |
| Jenrick stood down after the legislation did not allow ministers to override international laws which have stopped the government from sending asylum seekers to central Africa. | Jenrick stood down after the legislation did not allow ministers to override international laws which have stopped the government from sending asylum seekers to central Africa. |
| His resignation will be seen as a move to position himself as the head of a growing rightwing rebellion aimed at ensuring that the UK can act unilaterally and send flights to Kigali. | His resignation will be seen as a move to position himself as the head of a growing rightwing rebellion aimed at ensuring that the UK can act unilaterally and send flights to Kigali. |
| Jenrick wrote on social media on Wednesday: “It is with great sadness that I have written to the prime minister to tender my resignation as minister for immigration. | |
| “I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the government’s policy on immigration.” | “I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the government’s policy on immigration.” |
| James Cleverly paid tribute to Jenrick, claiming the former minister’s work had been “instrumental”. | James Cleverly paid tribute to Jenrick, claiming the former minister’s work had been “instrumental”. |
| The home secretary told the Commons: “I have from this dispatch box and a number of other locations said how much I value the work of the immigration minister. | The home secretary told the Commons: “I have from this dispatch box and a number of other locations said how much I value the work of the immigration minister. |
| “He has done a huge amount of work on this and a number of other areas, and I have said that in a number of areas which have driven down small boats arrivals by a third, the work that he has done has been instrumental, absolutely instrumental. | “He has done a huge amount of work on this and a number of other areas, and I have said that in a number of areas which have driven down small boats arrivals by a third, the work that he has done has been instrumental, absolutely instrumental. |
| “I have no doubt that the whole of government will work to make sure this legislation achieves what we, I think, all should want to achieve, which is to break the business model of people smugglers and to prevent people being abused by them in an attempt to come and live in the UK.” |