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| Sunak’s New Rwanda Bill Aims to Override Some Human Rights Law | Sunak’s New Rwanda Bill Aims to Override Some Human Rights Law |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Wednesday announced plans to override his country’s top court and disregard some human rights law, gambling on emergency legislation to rescue a highly contested scheme that would put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda. | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Wednesday announced plans to override his country’s top court and disregard some human rights law, gambling on emergency legislation to rescue a highly contested scheme that would put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda. |
| But even as the proposal drew criticism from opposition politicians, it failed to satisfy hard-liners in Mr. Sunak’s own Conservative Party, prompting the resignation of the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, who had pressed for more sweeping measures. | But even as the proposal drew criticism from opposition politicians, it failed to satisfy hard-liners in Mr. Sunak’s own Conservative Party, prompting the resignation of the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, who had pressed for more sweeping measures. |
| The bill comes less than a month after Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that the small country of Rwanda in Central Africa was an unsafe place to send those arriving in small boats on the southern British coast, and that the government’s plan would breach British and international law. | The bill comes less than a month after Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that the small country of Rwanda in Central Africa was an unsafe place to send those arriving in small boats on the southern British coast, and that the government’s plan would breach British and international law. |
| That derailed a flagship asylum policy that Mr. Sunak has put at the center of his political agenda. And it was a significant setback to a prime minister who is struggling to revive a stagnant economy and improve his dismal opinion poll ratings ahead of an election likely to be held next year. | That derailed a flagship asylum policy that Mr. Sunak has put at the center of his political agenda. And it was a significant setback to a prime minister who is struggling to revive a stagnant economy and improve his dismal opinion poll ratings ahead of an election likely to be held next year. |
| Under the Rwanda scheme, which was first unveiled under Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, asylum seekers could be flown to the African nation to have their claims heard there. Even if they were successful, however, they would not be allowed to settle in Britain, but would instead remain in Rwanda. | |
| The proposed legislation unveiled on Wednesday declared Rwanda to be a safe country — explicitly contradicting Britain’s Supreme Court. And the first page of the bill included a statement from the home secretary, James Cleverly: “I am unable to make a statement that, in my view, the provisions of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill are compatible with the Convention rights, but the Government nevertheless wishes the House to proceed with the Bill.” |