Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman proposed sending asylum seekers to British overseas territories, but faced resistance from the Foreign Office and military. She suggested using Ascension Island, Saint Helena, and the Falkland Islands, arguing that it would avoid legal issues surrounding sending them to a third country. However, support within Whitehall was lacking, and Braverman’s plan was not implemented.
The House of Lords has once more dealt a setback to Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill, voting to require the creation of a new monitoring committee to assess the safety of Rwanda. The amendment was put forward by Lord Anderson of Ipswich and passed by 240 votes to 211. It means the Bill will now return to the House of Commons for further consideration.
The UK government has once again voted to deport Afghan war heroes who helped British troops fight the Taliban to Rwanda. The move has been widely condemned by opposition MPs, who branded it a “disgrace”. The government insists that the policy is necessary to deter illegal immigration, but critics argue that it is cruel and inhumane. The vote came after a bitter clash in the Commons, where Labour MPs called for an exemption for those who assisted UK forces overseas. The amendment was defeated by a majority of 305 to 234. MPs also rejected a further amendment to Rishi Sunak’s controversial Safety of Rwanda Bill which would set up an independent body to assess if asylum seekers can safely be sent there. The vote sets up another clash between the Commons and the House of Lords, which has already rejected the Bill.
Rishi Sunak has taken steps to break the political impasse over his Rwanda Bill, which would allow for deportation flights to the African nation once it becomes law. This is the government’s latest effort to revive its plan to send asylum seekers who enter the UK illegally to Kigali. The deal has faced several setbacks since its inception two years ago. The Prime Minister has high hopes for the Bill, asserting that it would establish Rwanda as a safe country and ensure the legality of the program, which was previously deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court. Sunak has accused opponents of causing delays and stated that MPs and peers will work through the night on Monday if necessary to pass the Bill in Parliament. However, there are still unanswered questions about the implementation of the plan.
