Rwanda scheme: PM Rishi Sunak refuses to name date for first deportation flight
Rishi Sunak has refused to name a date for when the first flight will take asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The prime minister has given his full backing to the policy – originally introduced by Boris Johnson – that would see those arriving in the UK via small boat crossings or other illegal means deported to the African country to have their asylum claims assessed.
But despite having pledged to get flights off the ground in the spring, Mr Sunak would not give reporters a firm date, instead saying: “We need to get the bill through parliament first… but I am confident that once the bill is passed, we will be able to get this scheme up and running.”
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It comes as the number of people who arrived in the UK on small boats in the Channel rose above 5,000 by the end of March for the first time.
The previous record high figure for January to March was 4,548 in 2022, with 3,793 arrivals in the first quarter of last year.
The government’s Rwanda scheme has faced huge opposition from campaigners and rival parties, and was ruled unlawful by the UK Supreme Court last November.
As a result, the government altered the legislation to include a new treaty and to state in law that Rwanda is a safe country.
It has still faced fierce criticism though – especially in the House of Lords, which has applied multiple changes to the bill before sending it back to the Commons.
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MPs are expected to vote on those amendments when they return to parliament next week, but the law could be stuck in so-called parliamentary “ping pong” between the two chambers for some time if peers decide to stand their ground.
Now we have entered spring, reporters asked the prime minister for a date when the first flight would take off.
He said: “I just saw the president of Rwanda in Downing Street this week and they are absolutely committed to delivering on our partnership and I am confident that they have got all the preparation in place to do so.
“Look, I am committed to stopping the boats. We need to have a deterrent so that if people come here illegally they can’t stay, they will be removed. That’s why Rwanda is so important. That’s why I am determined to see it through.”
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But Mr Sunak added: “First of all we need to get it through parliament, where the Labour Party has been blocking it for a long time.
“Once it is up and running I am confident we will be able to operationalise the scheme [and] get people on flights because that’s how we set up a deterrent and ultimately end the unfairness of people jumping the queue, coming here illegally, putting pressure on local services and risking their own lives.
“None of that’s right, none of it’s fair and none of it’s compassionate either, to do nothing, and our plan is the right one.”
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has warned that crypto will increasingly threaten traditional financial markets’ stability as the industry grows and becomes more entwined with traditional finance players.
“We cannot rule out that future sharp drops in crypto prices could have knock-on effects on our financial system,” ESMA’s executive director Natasha Cazenave said in an April 8 statement to the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
Cazenave noted, however, that crypto currently only accounts for 1% of global financial assets and is not yet significant enough to cause major “spillover effects” into traditional financial markets.
She warned that interconnections between crypto and traditional markets are rapidly growing — particularly in the more crypto-friendly US — and called for closer monitoring.
“Crypto-assets markets evolve quickly, in an often unpredictable manner, and we need to keep a close eye on these developments,” Cazenave said, adding:
“Turmoil, even in small markets, can originate or catalyze broader stability issues in our financial system.”
Cazenave’s concerns ranged from spot crypto exchange-traded funds and stablecoin use to hacks, scams and scandals — highlighting the recent $1.4 billion Bybit exploit and FTX’s collapse in November 2022.
Today in the ECON Committee, the role of crypto assets in relation to financial market stability was discussed. The European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) were present.
I raised a critical question about the digital euro.… pic.twitter.com/KST7FRBhFF
— Engin Eroglu (@EnginEroglu_FW) April 8, 2025
The European Union has already implemented several measures to safeguard against crypto risks, most notably the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation that was rolled out last year.
While Cazenave said MiCA marked a “breakthrough” for crypto regulation, she added that there is “no such thing as a safe crypto-asset” and that more rules may need to be implemented to mitigate future risks.
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Her comments come as both crypto and the stock markets have experienced double-digit falls over the last few weeks as the Trump administration continues to follow through on its tariff plans.
Europe lags US in crypto adoption
While crypto adoption has accelerated in the US, Cazenave noted that over 95% of European banks remain on the sidelines, with no involvement in crypto-related activities.
However, retail participation is on the rise, with an estimated 10% to 20% of European investors having crypto exposure, which is in line with growing global interest, Cazenave said.
Most reports measuring US crypto adoption suggest that the range of adoption is between 15% and 28% of the population.
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Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has been granted final court approval to settle a class-action lawsuit for $11 million with Astrals non-fungible token (NFT) buyers.
Florida federal court judge Federico Moreno granted approval of the settlement between O’Neal and the class group led by Daniel Harper in an April 1 order made available on April 8.
The deal created a fund of up to $11 million for eligible class members and awarded $2.9 million in attorney fees and costs. All those who purchased Astrals NFTs from May 2022 to Jan. 15 and those who purchased the project’s native GLXY tokens up until mid-January are eligible.
“The fee sought by lead class counsel has been reviewed and approved as fair and reasonable by plaintiffs,” Moreno’s order read.
O’Neal was hit with the lawsuit in May 2023 over his founding and promotion of the Solana-based Astrals NFT project, which the suit claimed was an “offer and sale of unregistered securities.”
The class group said they bought Astrals NFTs and “suffered investment losses” due to O’Neal’s “conduct” in promoting the project.
In August, Judge Moreno recognized that the class suit had alleged that the former NBA player was a seller of the NFTs. O’Neal agreed to the settlement in November.
Screenshot from court order on final settlement. Source: Courtlistener
NFT sales slump
The Astrals NFT collection consisted of 10,000 unique 3D digital collectibles created in April 2022 by the artist Damien Guimoneau in a Solana-based project that promoted a virtual world where users could socialize and play with others, including the basketball star.
Related: NFT sales plunge 63% in Q1, but Pudgy Penguins, Doodles buck trend
There has been no activity or sales from the collection for the past two years, according to NFT marketplace OpenSea.
Overall, NFT sales are still in deep bear market territory, with just $27 million sold as of April 7, down from more than $2 billion per week at the end of 2021, according to CryptoSlam.
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