Media Wire Express Correspondent
After facing resistance and numerous demanded amendments, a controversial bill proposed by the United Kingdom government to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda has finally gained approval from the upper house of parliament.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to initiate the first flights to Kigali within weeks, aiming to bolster the fortunes of his Conservative Party ahead of an anticipated upcoming election.
The House of Lords, an unelected chamber, initially opposed the divisive plan but yielded after Sunak insisted that parliament sit until late Monday night to pass the bill. “No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda,” Sunak affirmed in a press conference earlier in the day.
The Rwanda relocation initiative, criticized by United Nations human rights experts and asylum seeker advocacy groups, has faced legal challenges since its proposal as a means to reduce the influx of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats. Legal hurdles, including an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights and a ruling by the UK Supreme Court, have obstructed previous attempts to implement the scheme.
The National Audit Office estimates that deporting the initial 300 asylum seekers will cost the UK approximately £540 million ($665 million).
Read More:UK to Offer Failed Asylum Seekers $3,836 to Relocate To Rwanda
Despite criticisms from the House of Lords, the bill passed without formal changes. It is anticipated to receive Royal Assent from King Charles later this week, thereby becoming law.
Since 2018, over 120,000 individuals, many fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, have arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Critics argue that the decision to deport individuals to Rwanda rather than processing asylum claims domestically is inhumane, citing concerns over Rwanda’s human rights record and the risk of returning asylum seekers to dangerous situations.
The “Safety of Rwanda” bill stipulates that certain UK human rights statutes will not apply to the relocation scheme and mandates that UK judges consider Rwanda a safe destination, despite previous legal rulings declaring the scheme unlawful.
Additionally, the bill restricts individuals’ appeal options to exceptional cases only.
Despite these measures, legal challenges persist, with UN rights experts warning that airlines and aviation regulators could violate international human rights laws by participating in the deportations. Approximately 150 individuals have already been identified for the initial two flights.
Polls indicate that the Conservative Party, which promised greater control over immigration following the UK’s departure from the European Union, is poised to suffer significant losses in the upcoming election to the opposition Labour Party.
Labour has pledged to scrap the Rwanda relocation scheme if elected and pursue agreements with the EU to return some arrivals to mainland Europe.
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