The lower house of parliament has voted 313-269 in favor of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The Supreme Court has previously ruled that the practice of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda violates international law, but the new bill is a sweeping response to the court’s decision.
The bill is part of the government’s drive to reduce immigration, which is expected to be a key issue in the 2024 election.
The Rwanda issue has divided Sunak’s Conservative Party, where those on the right believe Sunak’s plans do not go far enough, while others in the party worry that Britain is violating international law. Those on the right believe they can turn away asylum seekers who arrive without permission.
A right-wing Conservative MP says he and his colleagues will try to toughen the bill in January.
After the vote, Sunak said on social media that “British people should decide who gets into the country, not criminal gangs or foreign courts”.
Sunak has vowed to end boatloads of unauthorized refugees arriving by boat from France. This year 29,000 people arrived in the UK by boat. By 2022, this number was 46,000.
Human rights groups have branded the Rwanda plan unethical and unenforceable. Labor leader Keir Starmer says the plan won’t work.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP
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