The Rwanda Bill proposed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been passed in the UK Parliament. It was passed on Monday night after being held up for five months in the face of objections from opposition parties. This bill is now just waiting to become law.
The British government plans to send a number of migrants to the African country of Rwanda from among those who are illegally going to the UK by boat through the English Channel. In April 2022, the UK government signed a five-year agreement with Rwanda.
Under the deal, Rwanda will offer places to migrants coming to the UK over the next five years. In return, the British government agreed to provide aid to Rwanda for economic development. The UK has also promised to pay extra for the resettlement of migrants.
The first flight of migrants was scheduled to depart in June 2022 but was canceled at the last minute by an order from the European Court of Human Rights.
In November of the following year, the UK Supreme Court declared such plans illegal, but Rishi Sunak continued to try.
After the introduction of the Rwanda Bill in the British Parliament, the opposition parties criticized it widely. After many days of debate in Parliament, the lawmakers of the opposition party withdrew their objection on Monday night.
The bill, which was passed yesterday on Monday, mentions Rwanda as a safe country for immigrants.
Sunak said flights with aspirants will leave for Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks.
However, it is still uncertain whether it can be sent at all at this time. This may be obstructed by the court. It may also take time to arrange flights for the aspirants.
James Cleverly, the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, believes that the passage of this bill to stop the arrival of migrants by boat is a breakthrough moment.
“I promised to do whatever it took to clear the way for the first flight,” Cleverly said in a video that went viral on social media. That’s what we did. Now we are working to ensure that the flights can depart.
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It is not only opposition parties that have objected to the UK government’s Rwanda plans. Human rights organizations say the plan poses a significant threat to the rule of law.
The UK has already paid 22 million pounds for Rwanda’s economic development under the agreement. In addition, an additional 15 million pounds is expected to be paid over the next 3 years, making it 5 million pounds a year.
