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Just under 30,000 people arrived in Britain in small boats in 2023, many of them not from the African continent at all. Britain has promised Rwanda at least 370 million pounds (USD 470 million) as part of the deal, whose cost is rapidly rising. The agreement faced multiple legal challenges.
As the bill aimed at overcoming a U.K. Supreme Court block on the deportation of migrants to Rwanda has returned to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is breathing easy. The Lower House already thumbed down the amendments suggested by the Upper House. The UK Government hopes that the bill could be passed into law within days. If this happened, analysts maintain that it would be a boost for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is facing disquiet from fellow Conservative lawmakers. The party lags in opinion polls ahead of an election due this year.
Britain and Rwanda signed a deal almost two years ago that would see migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats sent to the East African country, where they would remain permanently. So far, no migrant has been sent to Rwanda under the agreement.
Lawmakers in the House of Commons rejected changes made to the Safety of Rwanda Bill by Parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords. The Lords inserted a series of amendments designed to water down the legislation. All the 10 amendments, backed by opposition members of the Lords, were removed by lawmakers in the Commons, where the Conservatives have a majority.
The votes will trigger a back-and-forth tussle with the upper house in the coming days, a process known as parliamentary ping-pong. The Commons is almost certain to prevail because the unelected Lords can’t overrule the elected lower house. Once the bill becomes law, it could be weeks before any flights to Rwanda take off, as people chosen for deportation are likely to lodge legal appeals.
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Just under 30,000 people arrived in Britain in small boats in 2023, many of them not from the African continent at all. Britain has promised Rwanda at least 370 million pounds (USD 470 million) as part of the deal, whose cost is rapidly rising. The agreement faced multiple legal challenges.
