Rwanda/ United Kingdom: Confrontation between the British Prime Minister and the opposition on the expulsion agreement from Rwanda
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) plenary session in Riga, Latvia December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/Pool
The controversial proposal of the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to expel migrants by plane to Rwanda, was at the heart of the debates during the questions in Parliament. The opposition Labour Party raised the issue, calling the attempt to deter illegal immigration problematic.
The British interior minister travelled to Rwanda earlier this week to sign a treaty to revive this proposal blocked by British courts. Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, has included the Prime Minister on the number of people sent to Rwanda outside his own cabinet, to which Sunak has not responded so far.
Sunak defended the project by stressing the need for an effective deterrence and return agreement to stop irregular immigration. He announced the signing of a new binding legal treaty with Rwanda, accompanied by new legislation to address the concerns raised.
The agreement, signed in Kigali, aims to implement Sunak’s commitment to reduce irregular immigration before next year’s general elections. This initiative was found to be illegal by the UK Supreme Court, saying it violated the country’s international obligations.
Rwandan Foreign Ministers Vincent Biruta and British Home Secretary James Cleverly worked on the new agreement to overcome legal objections and advance the controversial project.
