2024-04-23 19:00:48
The ‘Illegal Immigrants to Rwanda Transport Plan (Rwanda Model)’ bill, which British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been pushing as a core policy with his political fortune at stake, has finally passed the threshold of parliament after about two months of debate.
According to public broadcaster BBC on the 23rd (local time), the Senate decided not to further amend the bill sent by the House of Representatives that day. The Rwandan model involves sending illegal immigrants to the UK to Rwanda when they apply for asylum. In return, Britain provides economic support to Rwanda.
Prime Minister Sunak has been actively pushing for this bill, but it was put on hold when the Supreme Court ruled it illegal in November last year. The reason was that if illegal immigrants went to Rwanda, they were at risk of being repatriated back to their home country and being abused. Accordingly, Prime Minister Sunnack pushed for a ‘slightly revised’ bill, including the addition of provisions defining Rwanda as a safe country.
Prime Minister Sunnack was confident that the bill would be passed at a press conference the previous day and said, “The first flight will depart in about 10 to 12 weeks.” According to the British daily Guardian, the Home Office has already selected 350 immigrants who pose the lowest risk of legal challenge.
Recently, the UK, like other European countries, has been suffering from a surge in illegal immigration. The number of illegal immigrants coming to the UK increased from 299 in 2019 to 45,774 in 2022. In the first quarter of this year alone, the number reached a new high of 4,644.
Therefore, the current situation has placed a serious political burden on Prime Minister Sunnack, who was confident that he would “stop the migrant boats” when he took office. The Washington Post (WP) also assessed, “For Prime Minister Sunnack, who is facing general elections this fall, the Rwandan model is an issue of ‘political survival.’”
The ruling Conservative Party hopes that the passage of the bill will serve as an opportunity to change the current situation, where the approval rating is lagging behind the opposition Labor Party by about 20 percentage points. However, US broadcasters CNN and others predicted, “It remains to be seen whether the passage of the bill will be a political victory for Prime Minister Sunnack.”
In fact, because the UK is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), there is a high possibility that the Rwandan model will face legal sanctions at the European Court of Human Rights. The European Court of Human Rights has already warned that “the Rwandan model is likely to violate international law.” Therefore, some within the Conservative Party are calling for withdrawal from the ECHR, which could lead to further confusion, including a split in the ruling party.
The fact that Rwanda’s model involves significant costs could also be a negative factor. The British government is known to have spent 220 million pounds (about 375 billion won) on related policies so far. CNN predicted, “If the Rwandan model is implemented in earnest, the cost could increase to 600 million pounds,” and added, “This is something that can be criticized by both the ruling and opposition parties.”
There is also considerable opposition both inside and outside the UK. British human rights groups criticized that day, saying, “Parliament’s decision is a violation of human rights due to ‘outsourcing of refugees’ and ignores the Supreme Court’s illegal ruling.” Amnesty International and Liberty also pointed out, “The British government must rebuild the asylum system.”
Reporter Kim Bora [email protected]
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2024-04-23 19:00:48