Controversial “Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill” Receives Majority Support in UK Parliament

By Caroline Ameh

A majority of British lawmakers voted in favor of the controversial “Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill” on Wednesday.

The bill, designed to allow the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, passed the third reading in the House of Commons despite opposition from some “Conservative rebels.”

The flagship asylum policy of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the bill garnered a 320-276 vote in its favor. This comes after the UK Supreme Court deemed the government’s initial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful, prompting the need for a revised policy.

The bill, submitted to parliament last month, requires judges to consider Rwanda as a safe country and grants ministers the authority to overlook certain provisions of the Human Rights Act.

Despite internal criticism within Sunak’s party, only 11 Conservative lawmakers reportedly voted against the bill, with a majority of rebels ultimately supporting it.

The controversial nature of the legislation led to the resignation of two deputy Conservative party chairmen, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, on Tuesday. The bill must now navigate through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before receiving royal assent to become law.

The Rwanda plan, a contentious element of the government’s migration policy, has sparked international criticism and triggered mass protests across the UK.

Addressing concerns over small boat crossings by irregular migrants across the English Channel remains a top priority for the government, with over 45,000 migrants having arrived in the UK through this route last year.