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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Aubrey Allegretti, Rajeev Syal and Diane Taylor

Patel seeks to curb modern slavery claims as Rwanda plan labelled ‘government by gimmick’

Home secretary Priti Patel in the Commons on Wednesday
Home secretary Priti Patel in the Commons on Wednesday. The government vowed to organise more flights to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda. Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/AP

Priti Patel has been accused by Labour of participating in a “government by gimmick” in the aftermath of the 11th-hour cancellation on Tuesday of the inaugural flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.

As the home secretary entertained demands from Conservative backbenchers to pull out of Europe’s human rights framework after the policy was scuppered by a court ruling, Labour said the plan to transport refugees 4,000 miles away was never a “serious policy”.

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