Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain narrowly avoided a potential threat to his leadership on Wednesday, as his government’s controversial immigration plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda on one-way flights was preserved, at least for now.
To overcome resistance from British courts, Parliament voted in favor of legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers.
However, this victory, with a vote of 320 to 276, followed two tense days of debate that revealed deep divisions within the governing Conservative Party. On Tuesday, around 60 lawmakers rebelled against Sunak’s government, attempting unsuccessfully to make the legislation more stringent.
The government managed to regain control over the rebels by presenting them with a clear choice: vote in favor of the bill or risk a parliamentary defeat that could have completely derailed the Rwanda policy and dealt a severe blow to the prime minister in an election year.
Nevertheless, this display of disunity has undermined Sunak’s authority and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the legislation. The bill will now be considered by the House of Lords, where further opposition is expected.
Under the Rwanda scheme, which has not yet been implemented, asylum seekers arriving on the British coast in small, often unsafe inflatable boats would be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed. Even if granted refugee status, they would be required to remain in Rwanda rather than settle in Britain.
Human rights groups and refugee charities have condemned the program, and it was deemed unlawful by Britain’s Supreme Court last year. The new legislation aims to address the concerns raised by the court, although critics worry that the Rwanda policy may still violate international law.
The Supreme Court ruled against sending asylum seekers to Rwanda due to the risk of them being returned to their countries of origin, where they could face danger. The new legislation was designed to overcome this obstacle.
However, some Conservative Party supporters believe the legislation is not strict enough. They pressured the government this week to provide further assurances that ministers would disregard any attempts to halt deportations and dismiss interventions by the European Court of Human Rights.
On Tuesday, two Conservative lawmakers, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, resigned from party positions to join the rebellion and vote for amendments to strengthen the bill, defying instructions. One junior ministerial aide also resigned from her post.
Analysts predict that the House of Lords will water down the legislation when it is considered, potentially creating more obstacles for the bill in Parliament. The date for the bill’s consideration in the upper chamber has not yet been set.
Assuming the…
2024-01-17 16:49:31
Source from www.nytimes.com
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