Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Plan: What Does UK’s New Law for Asylum Seekers Entail?

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill has sparked controversy in Britain, as it involves deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda while their applications are being processed. Despite the passage of the landmark migration legislation, Prime Minister Sunak’s plans have faced opposition within his own Conservative Party.

The legislation aims to change the approach to migration on a global scale, according to Rishi Sunak. The UK government hopes to prevent people from arriving via small boats and plans to deport migrants who arrived illegally after January 1, 2022 to Rwanda.

However, the UK Supreme Court previously deemed this policy unlawful. Despite this, Britain has already paid Rwanda 240 million pounds, although Rwanda’s capacity to accommodate migrants remains limited, with only a few hundred places available.

The new bill gives ministers the power to override sections of international and British human rights law. Legal experts, however, argue that the UK would still be subject to the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, which could potentially block deportation flights.

Rwanda, although claiming to be one of the most stable countries in Africa, faces criticism from rights groups for suppressing dissent and free speech under President Paul Kagame. It is important to note that no migrants have been deported to Rwanda at this time.

Since taking office, Rishi Sunak has made stopping illegal boat arrivals one of his top priorities. Despite his statement earlier this year that a “legacy backlog” of 92,000 asylum claims had been cleared, there are still around 100,000 applications pending.

The passage of the new legislation signals the government’s determination to push ahead with its deportation plans, but opposition and legal challenges are likely to persist. In summary, the Rwanda Bill’s passage represents a significant shift in Britain’s migration policy, but it remains the subject of controversy and legal uncertainty.