The UK approves Rishi Sunak’s comprehensive Rwandan immigration law after two years of difficulties

NEW DELHI: According to a CNN report, the UK Parliament recently passed a contentious measure that permits the government to transfer asylum applicants to Rwanda so that the East African country may evaluate their applications for refuge.

In an attempt to get this measure through Parliament, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak encountered resistance and legal challenges from politicians and activists who raised concerns about the plan’s potential effects on human rights.

The government’s efforts to carry out this strategy have caused great embarrassment since, according to CNN, millions of pounds have been given to Rwanda for a program that hasn’t produced any benefits yet.
The measure aims to discourage irregular migration into the UK, specifically focusing on those who, with the help of criminal organizations, journey from France in dangerous small boats. As per the law, those who arrive in the UK might be deported to Rwanda so that their asylum requests could be handled there. They want to stay in Rwanda if their claim is granted. The law does, however, provide that they cannot be deported from Rwanda to any other nation except the UK if their claim is denied; nonetheless, it is unclear what would happen in such a case.

The idea for this program was first floated in 2022, when Prime Minister Sunak prioritized stopping this immigration, in line with a Conservative pledge to “stop the boats.” CNN reports that, two years later, the lack of any deportations has been considered a major failure for Sunak. The strategy was declared illegal by the UK Supreme Court last year because it put asylum seekers in danger of being mistreated if they were sent back to Rwanda, which would have violated international human rights laws. The court brought up earlier worries about extrajudicial murders and torture—two human rights violations in Rwanda.

The UK government overruled the judiciary’s objections and proposed the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill earlier this year in response to these difficulties, claiming that Rwanda is a safe nation. According to CNN, Home Secretary James Cleverly has stated that the measure has passed Parliament and is shortly to become law. Its goals are to stop the abuse of human rights claims to block deportations and to reinforce UK sovereignty over decisions made by European courts.

Notwithstanding the bill’s adoption, the UK’s adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights raises the possibility of legal challenges before the European Court of Human Rights. The UK has already been barred by a European court from sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The continual “ping pong” process of changes between the House of Commons and the House of Lords has caused delays for the measure.

The University of Oxford’s migration observatory recorded 45,744 small boat arrivals in 2022, which added to the year’s net migration total of 745,000. With a general election approaching, Prime Minister Sunak and the Conservative Party face a challenge from these people. Labour and other opposition parties have said that if they win power, they will abandon the plans for Rwandan migration. Al Jazeera reports that the general election is anticipated to occur later this year, paving the way for a heated discussion on immigration laws.