Team Blitz India
THE United Kingdom readied to start detaining migrants after the contentious Rwanda deportation Bill became law with King Charles giving his assent.
While the British Parliament passed the Bill that seeks to send migrants from Rwanda back, on April 22, the House of Lords announced the Royal assent, transforming the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill into a law, three days later, on April 25.
The passage of the legislation – a flagship policy of the Rishi Sunak Government that aims to curb irregular crossChannel migration from northern France – sparked outrage from the United Nations and rights groups.
Arrangements made
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the first flight carrying illegal migrants would depart for Rwanda within the next 10 to 12 weeks come what may and asserted that all necessary arrangements have been made to initiate the process.
Just hours after the UK legislation was passed, the French police said at least five migrants, including a child, died overnight during an attempt to cross the busy shipping lane in a small boat. Under the UK scheme, undocumented asylum seekers arriving in Britain would be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be examined and, if approved, would allow them to stay in Rwanda.
Rwanda is ‘pleased’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says deportations are expected to begin within 10-12 weeks, with migrants identified for the first flight due to be detained and held from as early as this week.
Rwanda said it was “pleased” to see the Bill passed and was looking forward to “welcoming those relocated to Rwanda”. But the heads of the UN agencies for refugees and human rights warned it threatened the rule of law and set “a perilous precedent globally”.
They urged the UK to instead “take practical measures to address irregular flows of refugees and migrants, based on international cooperation and respect for international human rights law”.
The Council of Europe also called for the new law to be scrapped and said it raised “major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law more generally”.
