(3 minutes Read)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced criticism from the opposition Labour Party over his controversial plan to fly migrants to Rwanda in a bid to deter illegal immigration.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced criticism from the opposition Labour Party over his controversial plan to fly migrants to Rwanda in a bid to deter illegal immigration. It may be recalled, as reported by www.trendsnafrica.com, Britain’s Home Secretary flew to the East African country earlier in the week to sign a treaty in a bid to revive the controversial proposal which was blocked by the UK courts.
The British Home Office maintained that the new treaty responds directly to the findings of the Supreme Court, which upheld the ruling of the lower court. The Home Office further said that the new legislation which runs into 43 pages presents a new long-term solution to the nagging immigration issues. The new bill says that the deported immigrants would not be at risk of being returned to a country where their life or liberty would be threatened.
The agreement also includes the establishment of a joint tribunal with Rwandan and British judges in Kigali to ensure that migrants’ safety is guaranteed. There are provisions to ensure that all migrants’ complaints are listened to and resolved. The text must now be ratified by the British and Rwandan parliaments.
Amidst these developments, the proposed legislation has been the cause of a slugfest between the ruling party and the opposition Labour Party in the Parliament. To a question from Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as to how many people apart from members of his own cabinet, were sent to Rwanda, Prime Minister Sunak replied that his government would do everything it takes to get this scheme working to stop the boats carrying illegal migrants. That was the reason for a new legally binding treaty with Rwanda. He further said that the new legislation would address all the concerns that have been raised. He assured that the agreement was crucial to achieve his pledge of slashing irregular migration before a general election expected next year.
It was penned by Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta and British interior minister James Cleverly, who travelled to the Rwandan capital to salvage London’s stalled bid to send migrants to Rwanda after the UK Supreme Court deemed the arrangement unlawful. The judges sided with a lower court decision that the policy was incompatible with Britain’s international obligations because Kigali could forcibly return migrants to places where they could face persecution.
Sunak had vowed to persevere with the contentious project by securing a new treaty that he promised would “address concerns” raised in the Supreme Court’s ruling last month.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/senegal-and-france-discuss-drug-trafficking-and-visa-issues/
The British government is trying to salvage this flagship measure of its policy against illegal immigration, after the mid-November slap in the face by the British Supreme Court, which confirmed that its project was illegal as it stood.
