LONDON: Britain’s Prince Charles has called the government’s plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda “appalling,” a report said Saturday after it cleared a legal challenge.
The UK government intends to fly the first planeload of 31 claimants to Rwanda on Tuesday — shortly before Charles is due to represent his mother Queen Elizabeth II at a Commonwealth summit in Kigali.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who is also set to attend the summit — welcomed his government’s victory in Friday’s High Court hearing, although an appeal is due to be heard on Monday.
“We cannot allow people traffickers to put lives at risk and our world leading partnership will help break the business model of these ruthless criminals,” Johnson tweeted.
Charles, however, joined others including senior Christian clerics in denouncing the plan, and fears the issue could overshadow the Commonwealth summit on June 24-25, The Times reported.
“He said he was more than disappointed at the policy,” the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.
“He said he thinks the government’s whole approach is appalling. It was clear he was not impressed with the government’s direction of travel,” the source added.
A spokesman for Charles declined to comment on private conversations, “except to restate that he remains politically neutral.”
“Matters of policy are decisions for government,” the spokesman added.
The government says the one-way flights will deter asylum claimants from entering Britain by illegal routes, and offer those who do try a new life in Rwanda instead.
More than 10,000 migrants have made the perilous sea journey from France to Britain so far this year, a huge increase on prior years.
Prince Charles slams UK’s Rwanda plan
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Prince Charles slams UK’s Rwanda plan
US set to relinquish several senior NATO command posts
- US will transfer leadership of its Norfolk command in Virginia, focusing on the alliance’s north, to Britain
- The changes will likely take months to be implemented, according to two NATO diplomats
BRUSSELS: The United States will hand over two top regional commands in NATO to European countries, diplomats said Monday, as President Donald Trump presses allies to take greater responsibility for their defense.
Washington will transfer leadership of NATO’s Naples command, which focuses on the alliance’s south, to Italy and leadership of its Norfolk command in Virginia, focusing on the alliance’s north, to Britain.
The United States will meanwhile take over the command of NATO’s maritime forces, based in the United Kingdom.
The changes, first reported by French outlet La Lettre, will likely take months to be implemented, two NATO diplomats told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“It’s a good sign of burden shifting in practice,” a diplomat said.
The shuffling of NATO command positions comes as Washington has said it could reduce its defense presence in Europe to focus on other threats like China.
But military superpower Washington will still remain central as it will have control of NATO’s core air, land and sea commands and retain the top position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
European countries have already ramped up military budgets in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and last year agreed to hike NATO’s defense spending target.
Trump has rattled faith in the reliability of the United States and last month plunged the alliance into crisis by making claims on Greenland.
But US NATO ambassador Matthew Whitaker separately on Monday insisted that the US leader was looking to strengthen, rather than “dismantle,” NATO by making Europe step up.
“We’re trying to make NATO stronger, not to withdraw or reject NATO, but make it work like it was intended as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies,” Whitaker said.
