Britain’s Rwanda Security Bill and why it is controversial

London:

The Rwandan Security (Asylum and Immigration) Bill 2023, which has been approved by Parliament, is the UK government’s latest attempt to deport asylum seekers to the East African country as part of efforts to cut irregular migration, ruling previous attempts illegal. was given.

Why was it introduced?

The deportation scheme for asylum seekers who enter the UK “illegally” was first proposed in 2022 as a way to tackle “small boats” crossings of the Channel from northern France.

So far this year, 6,265 people have been picked up and brought ashore while trying to make the journey, bringing the total number of people found in small boats since 2018 to more than 120,500.

But the proposal to make cuts to what the government says are public services and housing that is under unsustainable financial pressure from the rising number of asylum seekers is surrounded by legal challenges.

Britain’s Supreme Court on November 15 upheld a lower court’s ruling that Rwanda is not a safe country for asylum seekers and refugees.

It said there are “substantial grounds” to believe that Kigali may forcibly return asylum seekers and refugees to places where they may face persecution.

what happened next?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to introduce emergency legislation to address Supreme Court concerns and a new legally binding treaty in international law.

Interior Minister James Cleverly signed the treaty with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta on 4 December.

It promised people not to return to a country where their life or freedom would be in danger, and a new oversight body would be set up to hear individual appeals.

The government published the bill on 7 December.

Why is it controversial?

Human rights groups and legal experts expressed concern that these proposals eliminate any laws preventing migrants identified for removal from being deported, and would require courts and tribunals to treat Rwanda as a “safe country”. Let’s force.

The new law also orders courts to ignore other British laws or international rules, such as the International Refugee Convention, that prevent deportation to Rwanda.

Ministers will be allowed to ignore any emergency order from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to temporarily stop a flight to Rwanda while an individual case is still being considered.

Why are the right wing unhappy?

Hard-liners in Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party wanted the legislation to go even further by scrapping the entire UK Human Rights Act, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the UN Refugee Convention and all other international laws.

He believed that the bill would delay the deportation of migrants by allowing them to challenge their deportation to Rwanda on specific individual grounds, if they can prove that it would put them at real risk of serious harm.

Migrants will then be able to appeal those claims, which will cause further delays.

now what?

Sunak said on Monday that “as soon as the bill is passed we will begin the process of removing those identified for the first flight.”

Plans were already in place for the first flights within 10–12 weeks, with an airfield on standby, commercial charter aircraft booked and “500 highly trained individuals prepared to transport illegal migrants to Rwanda”. Were”.

Once in Rwanda, asylum seekers’ applications will be evaluated. If they are successful, they will be granted asylum in the East African country rather than Britain.

But there could still be court challenges from campaigners or individuals who have been told they are to be deported to Rwanda.

The Supreme Court said in its decision that the evidence shows Rwanda’s “practical ability to meet its assurances, at least in the short term”, to correct “deficiencies” in its asylum system and to see through “the scale of changes in the process”. But I doubt it. , understanding and culture which are essential”.

The opposition Labor Party, which won the next general election in Britain, has promised to end this policy if it takes power.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)