The return of the Rwanda asylum plan
The government has set out new details of its plan for removing asylum-seekers to Rwanda.
A treaty signed on December 5 by home secretary James Cleverly is a “formal” treaty binding the UK and Rwanda under international law. The treaty outlines new safeguards about how people to be sent to Rwanda will be treated, and how their asylum claims will be handled. It states that Rwanda cannot send a relocated individual, regardless of refugee status, to another country besides back to the UK at the UK’s request.
It also allows for an independent monitoring committee to ensure Rwanda complies with the treaty, and the UK would be required to pay accommodation and living expenses of people relocated to Rwanda for up to five years.
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, published on December 6, intends to reverse the Supreme Court ruling and attempt to prevent any further legal challenges against the plan – in essence, ordering British judges to ignore some clauses of the UK Human Rights Act.
The Bill would also allow ministers to ignore orders from the European Court of Human Rights to suspend flights to Rwanda while any legal cases and challenges to removal were still being heard. It is yet to be approved by Parliament.
The Rwanda scheme was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court on November 15, as it was thought the risk was too great that asylum-seekers sent to Rwanda could be returned to their country of origin where they would “face a real risk of ill-treatment in circumstances where they should not have been returned at all”.
The bill has faced resistance from far-right Tories, who favoured Suella Braverman’s more extreme measures. Others feel the bill still goes too far, particularly in its intentions to override the ECHR and international law, with rumours brewing around in-fighting calls to replace Rishi Sunak entirely as no confidence letters have surfaced.
So it would seem that not only is the media response divided into left and right, but there is also ongoing division within the Tory party itself.
Unless otherwise linked, headlines are front pages on 08/12/2023.
Immigration minister quits as Sunak unveils new Rwanda asylum bill
Rishi Sunak ‘told Rwanda flight law will make it EASIER for migrants to stay in Britain’ as Tory ‘five families’ go to war for soul of party amid ‘insane’ threats to replace PM as leader- as cost of project doubles to almost £300million
- It is worth noting that No 10 since released a statement saying that Suella Braverman, not Rishi Sunak, signed off on an extra £100 million payment to Rwanda
The Guardian view on the new Rwanda bill: a draconian disgrace
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan might just work, if his restive backbenchers let it
Tories are imploding: Sunak fighting for job as immigration row sparks civil war; 18 no confidence letters submitted by raging right-wingers
The Mirror
Rishi Sunak is trying to do what Boris Johnson never could: get Rwanda done
Handing Rwanda an extra £150m IS worth it to slash migrant hotel bill, minister claims as total cost hits £290m
Rwanda plan risks failing, top lawyers warned PM
The Times
