January 17, 2024
3 mins read

Rwanda Plan to Torpedo Rishi

Parliament launched two days of debate about the scheme — a central part of Sunak’s pledge to stop asylum seekers crossing from France to Britain in small boats…reports Asian Lite News

Rishi Sunak battled Tuesday to quell growing dissent over his controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda, testing his authority with a general election on the horizon.

Parliament launched two days of debate about the scheme — a central part of Sunak’s pledge to stop asylum seekers crossing from France to Britain in small boats.

The Conservative prime minister has staked his political future on slashing record levels of regular and irregular migration, with his Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill key to that pledge.

But the proposal has reopened divisions in his ruling Tory party between right-wingers and centrists, leaving Sunak between a rock and a hard place as he fights to turn it into law.

The plan is his answer to a unanimous UK Supreme Court ruling in November that deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda is illegal under international law.

If passed, it would compel judges to treat Rwanda as a safe third country and proposes giving UK ministers powers to disregard sections of international and British human rights legislation.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reiterated this week that the bill and a recently signed treaty with Kigali designating Rwanda “safe” were “not compatible” with international refugee law.

More than 60 MPs have publicly backed amendments to make the bill even tougher though, including by disapplying international law and restricting asylum seekers’ rights to appeal against deportation.

They include two Tory deputy chairmen, testing Sunak’s leadership mettle amid calls for the pair to be dismissed, in infighting not seen since the wranglings over Brexit.

Ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, who introduced the Rwanda scheme when he was in office, has also backed the amendments, although he is no longer an MP and cannot vote.

If Sunak bows to the rebels’ demands, then the bill would almost certainly be scuppered by moderates, who oppose violating international law and say the legislation already pushes the limits.

In a bid to appease MPs who fear that individual appeals against deportation to Rwanda could clog the courts, Sunak’s government announced Tuesday that it would hire new judges to fast-track cases.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the changes would create 5,000 additional sitting days to hear appeals. A spokesman for Sunak said the move showed that the government was “taking every conceivable step to ensure” that flights to Kigali could take off.

But several right-wing MPs told the House of Commons debate that Sunak’s bill does not go far enough. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who quit in protest at the bill in December, said the amendments “represent the last opportunity for us to get this policy right”.

The amendments are unlikely to be passed but will provide clues as to whether Sunak is in danger of losing a main vote on his bill expected on Wednesday night. His spokesman told reporters that discussions with lawmakers were “still ongoing”.

Party rebels had threatened to kill the Rwanda legislation during the first vote on the issue last month but Sunak faced them down and won a knife-edge parliamentary vote.

The rebels may ultimately decide it is better to back their leader, rather then side with the main opposition Labour party, which calls the plan a “gimmick”. The prime minister says the law is essential to deter migrants from considering travelling to the UK via unauthorised routes.

Around 30,000 asylum seekers crossed the English Channel on rudimentary vessels last year. Five died trying to make the journey this past weekend. Sunak has yet to announce the date of the UK’s general election but has said it will be held this year.

Some opinion polls put Labour more than 20 points ahead of the Tories, suggesting the ruling party is heading for a landslide defeat.

ALSO READ-Around 3.5 mn overseas British citizens now eligible to vote

Previous Story

UK govt to send 20,000 troops in biggest deployment to NATO exercises

Next Story

ISI Actions Fuel Unrest in POJ&K and Gilgit-Baltistan

Latest from -Top News

Ould Tah to head AfDB

Tah, a seasoned economist and development financier, will formally assume office on 1 September 2025, taking over from Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the

Big pay bump for SA workers

The landmark move, which follows months of intense negotiations with trade unions, is expected to benefit millions of civil servants across national and provincial departments. South Africa’s government has confirmed a sweeping

Deadly floods ravage Nigeria

Triggered by torrential rains and the collapse of a nearby dam on May 28, 2025, the floods have submerged vast areas, destroyed infrastructure, and displaced thousands of residents. The death toll from

Piyush Goyal Begins Europe Visit

As part of the visit, the minister will meet top leadership of major French companies such as Vicat, Total Energies, L’Oreal, Renault, Valeo, EDF and ATR….reports Asian Lite News Union Minister of

Call to Greylist Pakistan Over Terror Links

Freddy Svane, the former Danish Ambassador to India, said that it is high time for the world to acknowledge that Pakistan remains the epicentre of terrorism in the region….reports Asian Lite News
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Sunak, Biden sign ‘Atlantic Declaration’ pact  

Leaders agreed to deepen close economic ties between their countries,

Sunak may head to US if he loses PM race

Research by YouGov found Truss is backed by 66 per