76 ARTICLES

·

UPDATED last year

UK's Controversial Rwanda Bill Passes Key Vote Despite Internal Opposition

The bill, which proposes to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, now faces potential hurdles in the House of Lords and demands for amendments from right-wing lawmakers.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's controversial Rwanda bill, which proposes to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, passed a key vote in the House of Commons with a majority of 43, despite opposition from hard-right factions within his own Conservative Party.
Approximately three dozen Conservative lawmakers abstained from the vote, but the party's 56-seat majority ensured the bill's passage. However, the bill now faces potential stumbling blocks in the House of Lords, where it is likely to receive a hostile reception.
Right-wing lawmakers who allowed the bill to pass have vowed to demand amendments to make the bill even more stringent when it faces another vote in the House of Commons.
The bill is part of Sunak's strategy to stop the arrival of migrants on small boats across the English Channel, a policy that has become a linchpin of his party's campaign to stay in power.
The Rwanda bill has been criticized for its potential breach of international obligations and for its impracticality, as it is unlikely that a large number of asylum seekers will ever be deported to Rwanda.

South China Morning Post

Washington Post

Associated Press