Sunak meets Austrian leader amid calls for EU to consider Rwanda-style policy

Rishi Sunak said he and his Austrian counterpart are “deepening co-operation” on illegal migration and agreed that schemes like the UK’s Rwanda plan are needed to tackle the issue in Europe.

The Prime Minister met with Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna on Tuesday and said in a joint media appearance that sending migrants to designated safe third countries, such as the Rwanda plan, should play a part in tackling the Europe-wide issue.

The meeting comes after 15 EU countries, including Austria, signed a letter calling on the European Commission to tighten migration policy and to look at third country schemes.

“It’s increasingly clear that many other countries now agree that that is the approach that is required – bold, novel, looking at safe country partnerships,” the Prime Minister said.

The UK will continue “bringing others along with us on the journey”, he added.

Mr Nehammer said having safe asylum proceedings in safe third countries could “save human lives” by eradicating smuggling routes, and it is “something we need to put on the EU’s agenda as well”.

Mr Sunak said illegal migration has become “truly one of the defining issues of our time” and “we face criminal gangs that are growing in strength across the European continent and beyond”.

He said his Austrian counterpart has been “right on this issue for a long time” and has been bringing attention to it in Europe.

The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act passed into law last month and is aimed at protecting the scheme against legal challenges.

Ministers hope the first flight to the east African nation will be able to take off in early July, with a regular pattern of further flights to follow.

These one-way journeys to Rwanda are aimed at deterring migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, though critics have contested whether it will have this effect.

The Government has also announced an extra £25 million for the National Crime Agency (NCA) to sustain and scale up efforts to disrupt people-smuggling operations.

The additional cash is expected to provide new equipment and specialist teams in the NCA, enhance links between the NCA, Home Office and police, and to do more to disrupt small boats supply chains.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “I have prioritised cracking down on organised immigration crime and breaking the business model of people smugglers since day one.

“Since 2020, we have already successfully dismantled 82 organised crime groups, seized 352 boats and prevented thousands of migrants from crossing the Channel.

“Through our continued work with the National Crime Agency and enhancing our capabilities even further, we’ll do everything possible to disrupt the criminals who profit from this immoral trade.”