by Nurat Uthman
Nothing will deter the UK on the contentious law that will enable it to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda. Speaking in London Friday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to make sure the bill was passed on Monday.
His latest remarks come amidst the lingering controversy over the migration plan.
” The priority now is to get this bill passed, right? At the end of the day, we’ve got to get this bill passed and I said, now, very clearly, we’re going to get this done on Monday. We don’t want any more prevarication or delay, enough from the Labour Party. We’re going to get this bill passed and then we will work to get flights off so we can build that deterrent. Because that is the only way to resolve this issue. You care about stopping the boats? You’ve got to have a deterrent. You’ve got to have somewhere that you can send people so that they know if they come here illegally, they won’t get to stay. It’s as simple as that. The bill is the way we’re going to deliver that.”
Britain and Rwanda signed the 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. But the agreement has faced multiple legal challenges and a back-and-forth tussle in the British Parliament.
In March, 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 10 amendments, backed by opposition members of the Lords, were removed by lawmakers in the Commons, where the Conservatives have a majority.
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.
Britain has promised Rwanda at least 370 million pounds ($470 million) as part of the deal, whose cost is rapidly rising.
