LONDON – The UK parliament has approved a controversial bill that empowers the government to send asylum seekers to the East African country Rwanda, which will consider their asylum claims.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been facing backlash from the opposition in the Houses of Parliament and challenges in the British courts, as activists called him to scrap the bill, which aims at curbing the inflow of irregular migration through dangerous small boats, on humanitarian grounds.
Sunak celebrated the approval of bill stating: “We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them. The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay.”
However, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, condemned the bill in a statement, saying: “Protecting refugees requires all countries – not just those neighbouring crisis zones – to uphold their obligations.
“This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international cooperation and setting a worrying global precedent.”
Amnesty International UK termed the bill a stain on the moral reputation of the country.
Under the legislation, those will be sent to Rwanda will not leave before mid-July. If their asylum petitions are accepted, they will be allowed to stay there and if these are declined, the East African nation will not deport them to any other country except the UK.
