The UK Parliament has approved a controversial bill that enables the government to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda for their asylum claims to be assessed, as reported by CNN. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced opposition in Parliament and legal challenges in British courts while attempting to pass the bill, with lawmakers and activists raising concerns about human rights implications.
Additionally, Sunak’s failure to implement the policy has led to significant embarrassment, particularly as the British government has allocated millions of pounds to Rwanda for a program that has not yielded any results so far, according to CNN. The aim of the bill is to deter irregular migration to the UK, particularly by individuals traveling on unsafe small boats from France, organized by criminal networks.
Under the legislation, some individuals arriving in the UK may be sent to Rwanda for the consideration of their asylum claims. If their claims are accepted, they will remain in Rwanda. However, if their claims are rejected, the bill stipulates that Rwanda cannot deport them anywhere other than back to the UK, though the outcome in such cases remains unclear.
The scheme was conceived in 2022, when Sunak, then Prime Minister, prioritized ending these arrivals as part of a Conservative pledge to “stop the boats.” However, two years later, the absence of any deportations is considered a significant failure for Sunak, according to CNN.
Last year, the UK Supreme Court deemed the policy unlawful, citing concerns that asylum seekers could face the risk of ill-treatment if returned to Rwanda. The judges highlighted Rwanda’s human rights record, including allegations of extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances, and torture.
In response, the government introduced the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill earlier this year, which asserts that Rwanda is a safe country, overriding the judges’ concerns. Home Secretary James Cleverly announced that the bill has passed Parliament and will become law shortly, aiming to prevent misuse of human rights claims to obstruct removals and affirming the sovereignty of the UK Parliament.
However, legal challenges in the European Court of Human Rights may still arise, as the UK remains a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. The European court has previously prohibited the UK from transferring asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The bill has faced prolonged delays due to attempts to amend it, leading to a back-and-forth process between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, known colloquially as “ping pong.” Despite these challenges, the government aims to address concerns about illegal migration, particularly ahead of a looming general election.
Both the governing Conservative Party and opposition parties recognize the significance of addressing migration issues in the upcoming election, with promises to scrap the Rwanda plans already made by the Labour party, as reported by Al Jazeera.