The controversial Rwanda deportation bill championed by Rishi Sunak has finally passed into law after a fierce battle in parliament. The bill, which aims to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK by irregular means to Kigali, has sparked legal challenges and concerns over its effectiveness and human rights implications.
After a back-and-forth between the Commons and the Lords, the bill was eventually passed on Monday night, with opposition and crossbench peers giving way. Home Office sources have already identified a group of asylum seekers with weak legal claims who will be the first to be sent to east Africa in July.
The bill has been a central part of Sunak’s efforts to curb small boat crossings in the Channel, with Home Secretary James Cleverly calling it a “landmark moment” in their plan to stop the boats. However, critics, including Denisa Delić from the International Rescue Committee UK, have condemned the plan as cruel and ineffective.
Legal challenges are expected as lawyers prepare to defend individual asylum seekers facing deportation. The bill allows for challenges if there is a risk of serious harm upon removal to Rwanda, with a complex appeals process in place.
The cost of the deportation scheme has raised eyebrows, with the National Audit Office confirming a price tag of £1.8m per 300 deportees. Concerns have also been raised about the potential for asylum seekers to go into hiding to avoid deportation.
Despite the bill’s passage, questions remain about its impact and the government’s approach to immigration. The prime minister has vowed to push ahead with deportation flights to Rwanda, emphasizing the need to end delays and legal challenges.
Labour has criticized Sunak for blaming delays on the opposition, pointing out that the Tories could have scheduled the bill’s final stages earlier. The passage of the bill marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over immigration policy and the treatment of asylum seekers in the UK.