The U.K.'s plan to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda has cleared Parliament

On Monday, in London, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, spoke during a press conference about an agreement made between the UK and Rwanda. This agreement involves the relocation of asylum-seekers from the UK to Rwanda.

A photo of Queen Elizabeth II sitting alone during the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip, has captured the world's attention for its poignant nature. The picture, taken by Toby Melville for Getty Images, shows the Queen dressed in black and wearing a facemask as she sits in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only 30 guests were allowed to attend the funeral, and all attendees were required to maintain social distancing. The Queen's isolation during the ceremony serves as a powerful symbol of the loss felt by many around the world during the pandemic.

On Monday, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, delivered a speech during a media briefing held in London where he discussed a deal that had been reached between Britain and Rwanda. The agreement pertains to the relocation of individuals seeking asylum from the UK to Rwanda in Africa.

The photo depicts members of the royal family standing on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London. The event is a celebration of the Queen's birthday and is a showcase of British military pageantry. In the ceremony, the Queen reviews hundreds of troops before taking part in a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, where she waves to crowds from the balcony. The tradition dates back to the 18th century and has become a beloved spectacle for both locals and tourists.

The British government's proposal to send asylum-seekers back to Rwanda will finally become a law, over two years since its introduction and amid much controversy.

According to The Associated Press, the House of Lords that wasn't elected removed all of its recommended changes, paving the way for the bill's approval.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood at a podium on Monday, boldly displaying the words "stop the boats" - a slogan that was central to his campaign. With determination, he announced in a press conference that he would do everything possible to enact the legislation so as to discourage those without visas from making the hazardous trip across the English Channel from France to England.

Sunak declared that the flights to Rwanda are definite, without any exceptions or objections.

The strategy involves transporting a portion of individuals who the government claims have entered the U.K. unlawfully to Rwanda, where the native leaders will examine their requests for asylum.

In April 2022, the United Kingdom made an agreement with Rwanda, which involved Rwanda accepting responsibility for processing and taking care of people seeking asylum who first come into Britain.

According to the government of the United Kingdom, warning migrants that they may be sent back to Rwanda will discourage them from taking the hazardous trip across the Channel. The country has kept track of over 4,600 migrants who crossed the Channel between January and March, which has exceeded the previous record for that time frame.

Detractors and legislators contend that there is no proof that the proposal would serve as an effective deterrent.

Sunak, who is currently behind in the polls leading up to an expected election in the autumn, is relying on this plan to secure the Conservative Party's reelection, despite facing opposition from prominent courts in both Britain and Europe. To bolster the plan's chances, Sunak enacted "emergency" legislation last year to officially declare Rwanda as a safe country under British law, as a way to revive the plan after it was initially rejected by the U.K. Supreme Court.

There have been no instances of planes departing from London towards Rwanda with deported migrants in the past two years, as per the original plan announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A plane was scheduled to leave in June 2022 but was suddenly halted by a last-minute decree from the European Court of Human Rights, which intervened to prevent the deportation of one of the refugees on board.

This gave justification for the six individuals who were still onboard the plane to pursue legal action in London courts. In the past year, NPR had conversed with an individual seeking asylum from Iran who was also present on the flight that was forced to land.

The man shared with NPR that he and his companions were treated horribly, being regarded as criminal and murderers. At each instance of someone knocking on their door, they were paranoid that it was the authorities who were going to take them back to the airplane. He is staying in a hotel for a temporary period.

The proposal has received a lot of disapproval from groups concerned with human rights as well as politicians from various factions. Some from Sunak's own party express their disagreement, citing that the proposal goes against the United Kingdom's obligations under international human rights legislation. Many additionally believe that it is not incidental that Sunak is promoting this proposal in Parliament during the run-up to an upcoming election.

Daniel Merriman, an attorney who has previously represented asylum-seekers who were scheduled for deportation to Rwanda, says that much of the current situation is needless cruelty put on as a performance. He also notes that this issue will be a significant topic of discussion in the upcoming election.

Polls indicate that British citizens have differing views on whether or not asylum-seekers should be sent back to Rwanda.

According to Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, a think tank that studies public opinions without bias, people have differing opinions on this matter. Some believe it will be successful, while others are unsure and skeptical about its effectiveness and affordability. Nonetheless, most individuals are not confident that it will work out.

The British authorities have given Rwanda almost $300 million to receive refugees that the UK has no desire to take in.

Although most of the Conservatives under Sunak agree with the transfer to Rwanda, there are some members in the party who oppose the legislation as they believe it is not strong enough. Suella Braverman, who had initiated the Rwanda plan during her time as home secretary, thinks that the most recent version of the legislation has significant flaws and contains too many escape routes, which will ultimately lead to an unsuccessful outcome in stopping the crossings.

Although Sunak successfully cleared one obstacle this week, professionals predict that he will face more challenges in the future.

According to Katwala, the actual challenges may be in the future. The individual must now prove the effectiveness of their work.

An obstacle could arise when trying to convince an airline to take part. The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights advisors cautioned aviation officials on Monday to not assist in "illegal deportations" of asylum-seekers to Rwanda, as it may result in a breach of international human rights regulations.