A number of my constituents have got in touch regarding the Government's plan for tackling illegal migration.

The Government is making significant progress in stopping the arrival of small boats, with crossings down by a third. This year, we have prevented 22,000 crossing attempts, seen the small boats deal with Albania lead to a 90 per cent fall in crossings, and cut the asylum legacy backlog by more than 59,000 cases. Being able to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda is an essential deterrent and part of our full toolbox to stop the boats.

I understand that the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal which means that the Government cannot yet remove people to Rwanda. I can assure you that the Government does respect the Supreme Court but its judgment does not weaken the resolve to deter people from making these illegal, dangerous and unnecessary journeys.

The Supreme Court judged that the Rwanda policy requires a set of changes to be lawful, and while the Government does not agree, it has been working on a new international treaty to address their concerns. I am aware that the Government is also planning to introduce emergency legislation so Parliament can confirm that Rwanda is safe, and people cannot further delay flights by bringing challenges in our domestic courts.

The Government is clear that it will not allow a foreign court to block these flights. The Prime Minister has said that if Strasbourg chooses to intervene against the wishes of Parliament, he will do whatever is necessary to ensure the flights can take off.

I understand that the details of the funding agreement between the UK and the Rwandan Government are confidential in order to maintain commercial sensitivity and preserve a safe space to negotiate bilateral agreements.

In terms of payments to Rwanda, as previously published the Government has provided Rwanda with an initial investment of £120 million into its economic and growth as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF). Investment has been focused in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and job creation.

In advance of flights taking place, a separate £20 million was also paid last year to support initial set up costs for the relocation of individuals. 

I will ensure to follow developments closely going forward.