Summary

  • Home Secretary Suella Braverman has insisted the government's plan to send some migrants to Rwanda is legal and that the country is safe

  • Her assurances came after she was confronted by Laura Kuenssberg with evidence that 12 refugees were shot by police there in 2018

  • Braverman said she wasn't familiar with the case and considered it an extreme and rare situation

  • Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, branded both the Rwanda plan and Braverman's claims about it "outlandish nonsense"

  • She also said the government is to blame for the UK's "broken asylum system"

  • Elsewhere, author Judy Blume told the programme US politicians were "drunk with power" in light of so-called Don't Say Gay proposals

  1. Braverman denies UK will take in Rwandanspublished at 09:30 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Braverman says she doesn't foresee refugees from Rwanda being sent to Britain, despite it being listed in the agreement between the two countries.

    She insists the reality is that Rwanda won't be sending vulnerable people to the UK despite Kuenssberg urging her to clarify why it's written into the deal.

  2. What was all that about?published at 09:27 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Sam Hancock
    Live reporter

    Suella Braverman was just asked whether people being sent to Rwanda on the government’s asylum seeker diversion scheme will be able to protest against their living conditions while in the country.

    This is potentially significant because in February 2018, a group of Congolese refugees living at the Kiziba Refugee Camp in Rwanda were shot dead by police for doing just that, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

    A view of Kiziba Refugee Camp in RwandaImage source, UNHCR/Frederic Noy

    They were demonstrating outside the UNHCR office, in the Karongi District, following the news that their food rations were to be cut by 25% due to funding constraints.

    The Rwandan government was criticised by the Human Rights Watch group for “refusing to acknowledge how many people were actually killed or holding those responsible to account”. The country's commission on human rights later said live ammunition was used "as a last resort after a violent and organised attack was launched by a group of demonstrators".

    It’s events like this that have led opponents to argue that Rwanda is not a safe destination for asylum seekers and that the government’s scheme breaks human rights laws. In December, the High Court ruled that the plan was legal and that it didn’t breach the UN's Refugee Convention but this decision is in the process of being appealed.

  3. Braverman: Rwanda is a safe country to send refugeespublished at 09:26 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Braverman's now being asked about the government's plan for asylum seekers arriving in the UK illegally to be sent to Rwanda. Kuenssberg asks if migrants do end up there, and are not happy, should they be able to protest about their living conditions?

    Braverman says Rwanda is a safe country and senior judges agree with her on that. She says the government needs to dramatically reduce the avenues of legal challenge.

    Kuenssberg says she's asking about migrant rights because in 2018, a group of refugees in Rwanda did stage a protest about their living conditions. "Do you know what happened to them?" she asks the home secretary.

    Braverman replies: "I'm not familiar with that particular case."

    Having explained the circumstances, Kuenssberg asks again: "Are you still sure it's safe to send refugees to Rwanda from Britain?"

    Braverman says she considers this a "very outside chance" and "extreme" situation and that, overall, she considers Rwanda to be a safe place with a proven record of resettling refugees. There is always space in legislation for challenges to happen, though, she adds.

  4. Braverman challenged on migrant numberspublished at 09:23 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Suella Braverman

    Next, Kuenssberg alleges that there's a tension between the government's plan to reduce migration whilst overseeing record numbers of people coming to the UK.

    Braverman says it isn't fair to conflate legal and illegal migration, saying they are "two very different cohorts".

    She insists the UK has "taken back control" over immigration rules but that is different to dealing with "evil people smuggling gangs".

    Kuennsberg pushes back, asking if the home secretary still wants to get immigration down to the tens of thousands.

    Braverman tells her it's a question of "getting the balance right" but won't be pushed on specific numbers, saying only that she wants to "bring overall migration numbers down".

  5. I won't put a firm date on when we can stop the boats - Bravermanpublished at 09:17 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Braverman's being grilled on the Conservatives' pledge to "stop the boats" carrying illegal immigrants to the UK - but won't say when that will be achieved.

    "I'm not going to put dates on it, but the rules are clear: if you arrive here illegally, you'll be detained," she says.

    Kuenssberg asks how many people the government's expecting to detain and where they'll be placed, to which the home secretary says: "Our scheme to detain and swiftly remove does not require 50,000 new detention places, the government is not planning to do that."

    She says when the government begins to relocate illegal immigrants to Rwanda, it will have a "significant deterring effect" and people will stop travelling to the UK illegally, so fewer detention places will be needed.

    Asked if it's true that the government's planning to house illegal immigrants on a large ship moored in Dorset, she says: "I'm not going to pre-empt and confirm our private commercial discussions."

    "We are looking at all sorts of lands, sites and vessels," she adds.

  6. What’s been going on in Dover ?published at 09:11 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Coaches queue at DoverImage source, Anthony Jones

    Coach passengers arriving at Dover for the Easter getaway face lengthy waits despite extra ferries being laid on overnight to clear a backlog.

    Some passengers who arrived on Saturday were still stuck on Sunday morning. Officials are blaming slower border processing times and a higher-than-expected volume of coaches for the delays.

    Simon Calder, travel correspondent at the Independent, said processing times since leaving the EU had increased sharply "and that would seem to explain the delays".

    An EU border at Dover meant things were "gumming up", as each individual passport had to be inspected and stamped after Brexit, he told the BBC. Officials in northern France said there were "no difficulties that we know of", but that lots of coaches had arrived to travel at around the same time.

  7. Home Secretary urges those at Dover to have patiencepublished at 09:10 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Suella Braverman

    The first of this morning's political interviews are underway, and it's Home Secretary Suella Braverman in the chair.

    Braverman says she sympathises with those stuck at the Port of Dover and acknowledges that nobody wants to be delayed or stuck on a coach overnight - but she urges people to be patient.

    She also says the issue really lies with the transport companies and port authorities, not the government, and that it's a busy time of year.

  8. On the airpublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is live now on BBC One, the BBC News Channel, BBC iPlayer and here on this page.

    Expect questions to the politicians on a range of issues, including the government’s latest migrant plans and Labour's new pledge to freeze council tax for a year - if the party gets into government.

    You can follow the programme live by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

  9. What is the Rwanda plan?published at 08:57 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Skyline of Kigali the capital of RwandaImage source, Getty Images

    We're expecting Home Secretary Suella Braverman to be grilled on the government's plan to send migrants to Rwanda as part of a crackdown on people entering the UK illegally. Here's a reminder of what that policy entails.

    The five-year trial will see some asylum seekers sent to Rwanda on a one-way ticket, to claim asylum there.They may be granted refugee status to stay in Rwanda. If not, they can apply to settle there on other grounds, or seek asylum in a"safe third country".

    The government says this will deter people arriving in the UK through "illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods", such as on small boats which cross the English Channel.However, the numbers crossing have not fallen since the policy was announced on 14 April 2022.

    More than 45,700 people used this route to come to the UK in 2022, the highest figure since records began.

  10. Closer look: Should we shut down AI?published at 08:45 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    What do the Pope's crazy puffa jacket, a student avoiding a parking ticket, a dry government document and Elon Musk warning the robots might come for us have in common?

    The answer is AI, artificial intelligence. Two words we are going to hear a lot about in the coming months.

    The picture of the Pope in a Michelin-man style white coat was everywhere online but was made using AI by a computer user from Chicago. Meanwhile in Yorkshire, 22-year-old Millie Houlton recently asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to "please help me write a letter to the council, they gave me a parking ticket" and sent it off. The computer's version of her appeal successfully got her out of a £60 fine.

    Put simply, the pace of change and its potential presents an almighty challenge to governments around the world. It's the speed at which the technology is progressing that led those tech entrepreneurs to intervene, with one AI leader even writing in a US magazine this week, external: "Shut it down."

    Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn is one of them, and he’ll be explaining the threat of AI later on in this morning's programme.

    • Read more on this here
  11. Watch live from 09:00 BSTpublished at 08:36 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is due up at the top of the hour, and you can watch the programme without leaving this page by clicking the Play button in the picture above.

    Stay with us for the latest news lines, quotes and video clips as we follow the show, which this week features Suella Braverman, Lisa Nandy, Judy Blume and Jaan Tallinn.

  12. What might Braverman be asked?published at 08:34 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    All eyes will be on Suella Braverman this morning, as the home secretary is quizzed by Laura Kuenssberg at a crucial time for the Home Office.

    This week has seen questions raised on everything from depleting police officers through to dwindling rape convictions and the government’s bid to tackle the migrant crisis. So what might she be asked?

    • The Rwanda plan - which will see the government send some asylum seekers to East Africa on a one-way ticket - is sure to come up, as it’s been such a contested part of Braverman’s time in office (even though she didn’t come up with the plan herself)
    • Further to that, PM Rishi Sunak’s promise to to “stop the boats” could come up as Braverman has become known for her hardline approach to tackling what she refers to as “illegal migration”
    • And of course there’s the new plan to house migrants at ex-military bases in various parts of the country, which has been met with criticism by both opposition and Conservative MPs
    • Trust in police is another issue that could be put to the home secretary, following the recent review by Baroness Casey into London’s Metropolitan Police force. Braverman herself has called on all officers to be “part of making [the necessary] changes happen"

    We’ll have to wait and see what she’s asked - and you can do that by sticking with us right here on this page.

  13. And on the panelpublished at 08:22 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    As ever, there‘ll also be a panel of guests to help Laura Kuenssberg pick apart this week’s interviews and look more broadly at the issues raised.

    Sharing their thoughts this week will be:

    • Murray Lambell, the vice president and general manager of online marketplace eBay, where he’s worked for more than 10 years
    • Minette Batters,a British farmer who’s also president of the National Farmers' Union(NFU) of England and Wales
    • And Tracey Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire mayor, known for being a former Labour MP and before that - an actress
  14. This week's guestspublished at 08:22 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Laura Kuenssberg show

    We’ve mentioned some of the guests due to appear on today’s programme, but here’s a quick rundown of who they are.

    Speaking for the government today is Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who’s established herself as a leading figure in the Conservative Party’s right wing since taking up her post under PM Rishi Sunak.

    For Labour, shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy will be in the studio - after her Tory counterpart Michael Gove used his appearance on the programme last week to confirm a ban on nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.

    Away from politics, US author Judy Blume is due to talk about the long-awaited film release of her 1970s novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn - who helped develop video-calling software Skype - will chat to Laura Kuenssberg about the future of AI.

  15. Good morningpublished at 08:19 British Summer Time 2 April 2023

    Sam Hancock
    Live reporter

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s big political interviews as we bring you the latest updates, reaction and analysis from Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

    We’re at the end of what’s been another busy week at Westminster, during which the government confirmed controversial plans to begin housing migrants entering the UK on ex-military bases in a bid to cut down on hotel use. Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the announcement was "an admission of failure" on asylum policy.

    Laura Kuenssberg

    We’re expecting to hear more on this in today’s programme as Home Secretary Suella Braverman is one of Kuenssberg’s guests. She’ll be asked about a number of other issues too, including the much-contested Rwanda policy. In the world of UK politics, we’ll also hear from shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy. And away from Westminster, US author Judy Blume will make an appearance.

    It’s myself and my colleagues Anna Boyd and Jen Meierhans here, ready to bring you all the latest this Sunday morning. As ever, the programme’s due to kick off at 09:00 BST - you can watch it live on BBC One and iPlayer or by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.