The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is standing firm in his determination to pass his Safety of Rwanda Bill, despite criticism from some of his own Conservative backbenchers. More than 50 Conservative MPs have backed amendments aimed at toughening the bill, which goes before the House of Commons on Tuesday. Ex-minister Simon Clarke threatened to vote against the legislation unless changes were made, warning that the unamended bill would “fail on contact with reality.”
Though the Conservative Party is increasingly fragmented on the Rwanda issue, with right-leaning MPs believing the bill will prove ineffective and those of the party’s One Nation group concerned that any changes would break international law, Sunak claims his party is “completely united in wanting to stop boats.” To deter asylum seekers from trying to cross the English Channel, the UK government has proposed sending some of them to Rwanda. However, Labour and the Supreme Court have criticized the plan, with the former calling it an expensive “gimmick” and the latter blocking it on safety grounds.
The proposed Safety of Rwanda Bill states that, under UK law, Rwanda is a safe country, while allowing ministers to ignore European Court of Human Rights emergency orders to suspend a flight to Rwanda while an individual legal case was being heard. Conservative MPs Robert Jenrick and Sir Bill Cash have a number of amendments on the table aimed at bypassing human rights law and restricting an individual’s ability to block their own removal. Two Conservative deputy chairmen have expressed support for some of these amendments, while Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has been reported to have privately warned that the original bill “does not go far enough.”
Though the amendments are expected to fail, Sunak warns Conservative backbenchers that the party must pass the bill in its original form, saying that he is “frustrated by this situation” and that he is in discussions with colleagues. Some MPs, including Clarke, Braverman, Hayes, Kruger, and Francois, have threatened to oppose the bill. Sir Simon, who believes the current bill is inadequate and will be exploited by both “creative lawyers” and people, warns that a Conservative defeat on the bill’s vote risks their destruction at the general election, expected to take place in 2024. Overwhelming polling indicates potential massive losses for the Conservative Party in this upcoming election
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