Last month, PM Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill faced a major setback when the Supreme Court ruled it ‘unlawful’. Its verdict was based heavily on the fact that the asylum seekers, once sent to the East African country, may be at risk of refoulement or being sent back to their home country, which ultimately places their lives in jeopardy.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) presented a plethora of evidence to the court regarding Rwanda’s defective asylum system and the country’s 100% rejection rate for asylum seekers from war-torn nations like Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen.
The nation’s capacity to safeguard the welfare of immigrants was the sole basis the court used to label the country as “unsafe,” ignoring the issues of its political feasibility or the notion of “offshoring asylum seekers.”
Following the outcome of the proceedings, the human rights activists rejoiced. BBC presenter Gary Lineker’s name has also come up in the headlines after signing a letter that implored the government to revoke the bill and create a new asylum system that “reflects the will of the people.”
PM Sunak’s new legislation
Despite the court’s ruling, Sunak refused to amend or withdraw the bill and instead drew up legislation to prove that Rwanda is safe.
However, the legislation itself has now triggered yet another string of opposition from a portion of the Conservative Party.
While the One Nation Conservatives supported Sunak’s cause to revive the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda through the legislation, right-wing Tory MPs rebelled and advised him to “pull” the Rwanda bill.
As it happened, the right wingers had convened and sought advice from a ‘Star-Chamber’ group of lawyers. Mark Francois then spoke on their behalf, explaining that they needed to modify the document since it had “too many holes in it.”
The holes in question pertained to the possibility of each individual appealing their deportation if their specific personal circumstances put them in danger of significant harm. Examples include pregnant women who are unable to fly or those with rare diseases that cannot be treated in Rwanda.
Despite being contested, PM Sunak remains steadfast with his belief that this could be the solution to ‘stopping the boats.’ The legislation will be brought before the parliamentary on Tuesday, and in order for it to survive, Sunak will need to keep the opposition below 56 abstentions or 29 votes against.
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