Rishi Sunak's controversial Rwanda deportation bill has successfully passed through the parliamentary process, paving the way for legal proceedings over the potential deportation of dozens of asylum seekers.
The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent on Tuesday, marking a turning point in Mr Sunak's campaign to reduce the number of people attempting to reach the UK by irregular routes, such as crossing the Channel in small boats.
The Prime Minister announced that the first deportation flights of asylum seekers to Rwanda are scheduled to take place within 10 to 12 weeks, rather than the spring deadline he had originally set.
He stressed that the government "will not let a foreign court" block flights to Rwanda, and pledged to end the "legal merry-go-round" associated with deportation flights.
Meanwhile, the Home Office, in preparation for the new law, has reportedly identified a group of asylum seekers who have relatively weak legal grounds for staying in the UK. The group could be the first to be transported to East Africa in July.
According to the National Audit Office, the scheme will cost £1.8 million for each of the first 300 deportees. Previously, Matthew Rycroft, a senior civil servant who has overseen the scheme for the past two years, has told MPs that he has no evidence to show that the scheme has a deterrent effect to justify the associated costs.
Government Position on Rwanda Deportation Bill
Home Secretary James Cleverly welcomed the passing of the Bill as a "historic moment in our plan to stop the boats". In a post on social media, he explained how the legislation will prevent abuses of the law by using unfounded human rights claims to block removals.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill has passed in Parliament, and it will become law within days. It will prevent abuse of the law by using spurious human rights claims to block removals. It also clarifies that the UK Parliament is sovereign, granting the Government power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts.
Mr Cleverly added that the government is working tirelessly to ensure that the first flights leave as planned.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill has just passed in Parliament.
This is what it means 👇 pic.twitter.com/Nq3O9qKVus
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) April 22, 2024
Critics and Concerns Over Asylum Seekers
Despite the passage of the bill, critics are still voicing their concerns. Denisa Delić, advocacy manager at the International Rescue Committee UK, stressed that sending refugees to Rwanda is an ineffective, harsh and costly approach. She has urged the government to focus on improving the country's immigration system and defending the right to seek asylum.
Home Office staff have privately warned that thousands of asylum seekers risk vanishing once removals begin, to avoid receiving notification of their transfer to Kigali.
A shortlist of around 350 migrants has been established by the Home Office, believed to present the lowest risk of successfully pursuing legal claims against their deportation.
However, lawyers have indicated that they will prepare legal actions on behalf of individual asylum seekers.
The newly passed bill allows appeals if a detainee faces a "real, imminent and foreseeable risk of serious and irreversible harm if returned to Rwanda".
However, the government has clarified that those eligible under the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Policy (Arap) will not be sent to Rwanda, according to an interior minister during the debates on Monday evening.