UK’s Rwanda asylum policy: Contentious bill enacted into law

LONDON: A contentious bill concerning the relocation of illegal migrants and asylum seekers from the United Kingdom (UK) to Rwanda was officially approved and enacted into law on Friday.

This marks the official approval by the British authorities, thus allowing the law to go into effect immediately. The law’s passage followed an extended legal dispute and a series of heated debates regarding the UK’s agreement with Rwanda on taking in illegal migrants and asylum seekers from the European country.

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The bill “Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024” officially become a law after receiving the “royal assent” by the current reigning monarch of the UK – Charles.

When a British monarch approves a bill, it signifies the formal endorsement by the head of state. This action represents the final step in the British parliament’s process of passing a legislation.

The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 will now permit British authorities to deport illegal migrants and asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, as outlined in the “UK-Rwanda Partnership”.

The UK-Rwanda Partnership is an international treaty signed by the UK and Rwanda in December last year. The treaty claims to “ensure” that illegal migrants and asylum seekers relocated to Rwanda would receive “safety”, “security”, and “full support” for five years while their application was processed.

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The treaty promises to “prohibit” the asylum-seekers removal to third countries and will ‘guarantee’ “fair processing” of their asylum claims.

Meanwhile, the law declares Rwanda as a “safe country” where asylum seekers can have their applications processed without endangering their human rights. However, the process and journey in enacting the bill into law has been fraught with legal challenges and controversies.

In November last year, the UK Supreme Court ruled against the government’s initial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. It cited concerns about the risk of returning the asylum seekers to countries where they could be persecuted. It was also considered a violation of the principle of “non-refoulement” under the international law.

However, the court was quick to confirm that it is perfectly legal to resettle illegal migrants and asylum seekers while their cases were being processed. The resettlement is permissible only if they are sent to a secure destination though.

Britain’s conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared the approval of the legislation as a major victory. He stated that the new law will assist in discouraging vulnerable migrants from undertaking perilous journeys to reach European shores. He claimed it will also disrupt the activities of criminal gangs engaged in human trafficking.

As per the British Parliament website, “Despite the progress we have made in tackling illegal migration, we must go further. To fully solve this problem, we need a strong deterrent. Only by removing the prospect that illegal migrants can settle in the UK can we control our borders and save lives at sea.”

However, human rights organisations voiced concerns over the potential consequences of the new bill. Several international bodies urged the UK to withdraw the contentious law. In particular, the United Nations (UN) cautioned the Tory government that the UK could violate various international laws regarding the treatment of refugees, to which it is a signatory.

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Meanwhile, public opinion in the UK regarding the new bill seems to be divided. In a recent poll by “YouGov”, it was found that a majority of respondents do not believe the plan will effectively deter migrants.

Despite the reservations from several quarters, Sunak’s government will proceed with implementing the new law.