Forget Rwanda - Yvette Cooper flies foreign offenders to paradise tropical island
More than 40 people from the small country close to Indonesia and also Vietnamese nationals were packed onto a charter flight that landed in both countries.
A plane full of deported criminals and immigration offenders has returned people to Timor-Leste for the first time ever.
More than 40 people from the small country close to Indonesia and also Vietnamese nationals were packed onto a charter flight that landed in both countries.
It was the first time any Vietnamese nationals have been returned in about four years.
It comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced this week that she had immediately replaced flights planned for Rwanda with flights to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders who have no right to be here to their home country.
After setting off on Wednesday, the flight arrived in Timor-Leste at approximately 9am today, having transported the cohort from the UK to the two countries in south-east Asia.
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A Home Office spokesperson said: "The flight highlights the Government’s commitment to expanding its returns ability for individuals without the right to remain in the UK and building strong relationships with partner nations in a shared mission to end irregular migration.
"Vietnam has recently been one of the top nationalities crossing the Channel in small boats."
Ms Cooper said: “Today’s flight shows the Government is taking quick and decisive action to secure our borders and return those with no right to be here.
“We thank the governments of Vietnam and Timor-Leste for their co-operation, without which this could never have happened.
"Our strong diplomatic bonds with other countries have never been more crucial to our mission to bring order back into the asylum and immigration system, tackling irregular migration, and making sure the rules are properly respected and enforced."
