A new bill to deport illegal immigrants from the United Kingdom to Rwanda was approved in the House of Commons on Wednesday, defying threats from right-wing Conservative MPs.
A The proposed legislation aims to respond to objections raised by the British Supreme CourtIt was deemed illegal by the previous version, declaring the African country a safe haven.
The text repeals the application of part of the British Human Rights Act in the matter and gives the government the last word on possible interventions by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
But the Conservative Party's delegation threatened to vote against it because they understood it did not go far enough, as it allows legal remedies for migrants to avoid deportation and does not completely prevent the ECtHR's intervention.
In the final vote, 320 voted in favor and 276 againstIncluding 11 Conservative MPs.
Even though Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's executive has an absolute majority, 30 of his deputies were enough to join the opposition in voting against the text's rejection.
The risk of a fresh rebellion within the ruling party's parliamentary caucus was evident on Tuesday night during a vote on a series of amendments.
sixty”The Tories” In defiance of government-imposed voting discipline, Rwanda voted in favor of an amendment that would allow it to ignore international law regarding the fact that it is a safe country.
The UK has a deal with Rwanda to deport illegal immigrants
The amendment was ultimately rejected, but the scale of the “riot” involving former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss shows the extent of unrest within the Conservative Party over the issue in an election year.
Two of the Conservative party's deputy leaders, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, resigned in disagreement with leader Rishi Sunak, who wanted to tighten the text.
For the British prime minister, it's a question that guides his desire to stay firmly on the right wing of the party without running the risk of losing support from moderates who don't want to violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), even in its latest version, the proposed law is “not compatible” with international law because it “does not meet the legal standards required for the transfer of asylum seekers”.
The text now goes to the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament, where it may be subject to new amendment proposals and objections, before returning to the House of Commons for promulgation.
A plan to deport migrants from the United Kingdom to Rwanda, announced by Boris Johnson's government in April 2022, was never implemented.
The first flight was blocked at the last minute by a European court ruling, and later, British courts declared the project illegal.
In an attempt to save the project, the government signed a new agreement with Rwanda, which is supported by this new bill. It defines Rwanda as a safe third country and prevents migrants from being sent back to their countries of origin.
Around 30,000 migrants crossed the English Channel illegally in small boats in 2023, a sharp drop from the 45,000 recorded in 2022.
Five migrants died over the weekend trying to reach a capsized boat in French waters.
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