More Rwanda raids are coming, promise Home Office after up to 20 illegal ... trends now
The Home Office is poised to launch more raids in a bid to round up migrants it wants to deport to Rwanda after a series of dawn arrests this week.
Up to 20 illegal migrants were detained in the UK-wide operation, which saw immigration officials take people, including women, into custody.
The Government department has refused to release many details about the arrests, but has suggested that more raids could happen as part of the 'large-scale operation'.
It said that it intends to get planes to the east African country underway in 'the next 9 to 11 weeks', after the Safety of Rwanda Act became law last week following a troubled journey through Parliament.
James Cleverly has hailed the start of the operation as 'a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration'.
The Home Office is poised to launch more raids in a bid to round up migrants it wants to deport to Rwanda after a series of dawn arrests this week
Up to 20 illegal migrants were detained in the UK-wide operation, which saw immigration officials take people, including women, into custody
The Home Secretary said: 'Our Rwanda Partnership is a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration, and we have worked tirelessly to introduce new, robust legislation to deliver it.
'Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground.
'This is a complex piece of work, but we remain absolutely committed to operationalising the policy, to stop the boats and break the business model of people smuggling gangs.'
Union FDA announced it had launched a judicial review of the Safety of Rwanda Act.
Its general secretary, Dave Penman, said they weren't prepared 'to shy away from it as we must protect the interests of our members and the integrity of the Civil Service Code'.
Enforcement action is said to have taken place throughout the UK - in England, Wales and Scotland as well as Northern Ireland - since midday on Monday.
Children are not expected to be detained as part of the operations.
Home Office Director of Enforcement Eddy Montgomery said: 'Our specialist operational teams are highly trained and fully equipped to carry out the necessary enforcement activity at pace and in the safest way possible.
'It is vital that operational detail is kept to a minimum, to protect colleagues involved and those being detained, as well as ensuring we can deliver this
