London — The British parliament passed a law Monday night that will mean asylum seekers who arrive on British shores without prior permission can be sent to Rwanda and barred from returning to the United Kingdom. The British government says the law will act as a deterrent to anyone trying to enter the UK. United Kingdom “illegally”.
He contentious program was approved after the UK Supreme Court ruled it was illegaland has been condemned by human rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency.
King Charles III, who must now give the Rwanda bill its royal ascent to become official law, He allegedly criticized the plan as “appalling” almost two years ago while it was taking shape.
Hours after the law was passed, French officials said at least five people drowned, including a child, in the English Channel while trying to reach the United Kingdom in a small, overcrowded boat.
Why would the UK send asylum seekers to Rwanda?
The plan for Rwanda was drawn up by Britain’s Conservative government in response to a spate of arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers to British shores in small boats from France.
With local asylum programs defunded and overwhelmed, the government has been housing asylum seekers in hotels, where they are effectively trapped and unable to work until their claims are processed, which can take years. These hotels cost the government around £8 million (nearly $10 million of taxpayer money) each day in rent, according to CBS News partner BBC News.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government says the Rwanda policy will act as a deterrent to prevent migrants and asylum seekers from trying to reach the UK in the first place.
What is the UK Rwanda law?
The new policy will give British immigration authorities the power to send to Rwanda any asylum seeker who enters the UK “illegally” after January 2022. Such people may also be barred from seeking asylum in the UK.
It will apply to anyone arriving in the UK without prior permission (anyone traveling in a small boat or truck), even if their aim is to claim asylum and they have legitimate grounds for doing so.
Under the new law, these people can be immediately sent to Rwanda, 4,000 miles away in East Africa, to have their asylum application processed there. Under the law, they could be granted refugee status in Rwanda and allowed to stay.
What are the problems with Rwanda law?
The law has been the subject of intense controversy and political disputes.
In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the program was illegal and in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, because it said genuine refugees would risk being deported to their home countries, where they could suffer harm. The ruling also cited concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record.
The final legislation passed Monday night orders the court to ignore parts of the Human rights law and other British and international standards, such as Refugee Conventionthat would also block deportations to Rwanda, the BBC reported.
Human rights groups have said they will launch legal challenges against the deportation of people to Rwanda as quickly as possible. This could delay any ejection flight.