After Lengthy Debate, UK Law Sending Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Finally Approved

23 April 2024

Zim Times Staff

The UK government’s divisive proposal to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda has been approved by the upper house of parliament following many changes. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised the public that the first flights to Kigali will begin in a matter of weeks.

Sunak is optimistic that the new law will improve the disappointing prospects of his Conservative Party in an upcoming election, which is anticipated to occur later this year.

The unelected House of Lords had previously declined to support the controversial proposal unless further protections were added. However, they changed their stance when Sunak indicated that the government would extend parliamentary sessions into Monday night if needed to secure the bill’s passage.

“Without any conditions or exceptions, Sunak declared at a press briefing earlier today that these flights will be headed to Rwanda.”

Since its introduction as a measure to decrease the influx of asylum seekers traveling by small boats across the English Channel, the Rwanda plan has faced legal hurdles and drawn criticism from United Nations human rights specialists and asylum advocacy groups.

Before his primary policy was enacted, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood at a podium bearing the slogan “stop the boats” on Monday, echoing one of his central campaign promises. During a press briefing, he assured journalists that he was fully committed to passing the legislation, emphasizing the urgency of deterring individuals lacking visas from making the journey across the English Channel from France to England.

The strategy entails transferring individuals identified by the government as entering the U.K. unlawfully to Rwanda for their asylum applications to be reviewed by local authorities. This arrangement stems from an agreement signed between the U.K. and Rwanda in April 2022, under which Rwanda has agreed to assess and accommodate asylum-seekers who first land in Britain.

The UK government argues that the prospect of deportation to Rwanda will discourage migrants from undertaking the perilous voyage across the Channel. 

According to official records, over 4,600 migrants crossed the Channel between January and March, exceeding previous figures for the same timeframe. However, critics and legislators contend that there is insufficient proof to support the effectiveness of this approach as a deterrent.

Sunak, currently behind in the pre-election polls anticipated for this autumn, is pinning his Conservative Party’s bid for reelection on this strategy, despite facing numerous legal objections from prominent British and European judicial bodies. In a recent development, Sunak resorted to “emergency” legislation last year to enshrine into British law the classification of Rwanda as a safe nation, aiming to salvage the initiative following its rejection by the U.K. Supreme Court.

No flights have departed from London to Rwanda carrying deported migrants in the two years since the initial announcement by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In June 2022, a flight was halted at the last minute due to a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights, which intervened to prevent the deportation of one of the asylum-seekers on board.

A British media outlet reported that opinion polls indicate a significant division among the British population regarding the proposal to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, a nonpartisan think tank focusing on public attitudes, noted that opinions are evenly split on the principle of the matter. However, there is a prevailing skepticism among the majority regarding the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of such a plan.

The UK government has provided close to $300 million to Rwanda as part of a deal to accommodate asylum-seekers that the UK wishes to offload. Although many Conservatives, including Sunak, back this arrangement, some within the party, particularly hard-liners, criticize the current iteration of the legislation for not being stringent enough. Suella Braverman, a former home secretary who initiated the Rwanda plan during her tenure, has labeled the latest version as “fatally flawed,” citing numerous loopholes that could lead to the failure of deterring migrant crossings.