The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to start sending flying irregular migrants to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks.
He made the promise after the House of Lords passed the controversial “illegal migrants bill” which is aimed at sending migrants entering the UK irregularly to Rwanda.
Many of the migrants cross the English Channel from mainland Europe. The bill suffered months of delays due to attempts to alter the plan.
The House of Lords had refused to back the legislation without additional safeguards. However, the House was forced to change its mind after Mr Sunak said his government would force Parliament to sit as late as possible to pass the bill.
Migrants, in their thousands, most of whom are fleeing poverty in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, have reached Britain by crossing the English Channel in small boats on hazardous journeys. In most cases, the trips are organized by people-smuggling gangs.
According to the Home Office, there have been 6,265 small boat crossings between January and April.
However, critics have described the plan as inhumane. They would have preferred the cases of asylum seekers to be resolved in Britain.
Critics are concerned about Rwanda’s own human rights record. They also say the asylum seekers risk being sent back to their home countries.
The legislation bars some of the UK’s human rights statutes from applying to the scheme and states that British judges must treat Rwanda as a safe destination. The Supreme Court had declared the scheme unlawful.
The legislation also limits the options affected migrants have for an appeal. The appeal will only be for exceptional cases, such as those affecting unaccompanied children.
However, although it has passed, the legislature, it may still face legal challenges. Charities and rights groups have vowed to try to stop individual deportations. The trade union representing border force staff is also promising to argue the new legislation in court.
