Two Deputy Chairmen of UK's Conservative Party Step Down in Support of Rwanda Bill
© AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Two UK Conservative Party deputy chairmen, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, have resigned in order to show their support for a tightening of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plans to expel asylum seekers to Rwanda, according to a joint resignation letter published on Tuesday.
In November, the UK Supreme Court finally ruled that UK authorities' plans to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda were unlawful. Sunak then announced his intention to introduce new "emergency legislation" so that plans to expel migrants could not be blocked again.
"It is with this mind that we fully appreciate that whilst our main wish is to strengthen the legislation, this means that in order to vote for amendments we will therefore need to offer you our resignations from our roles," the letter read.
The former lawmakers added that a system that "does not work in favor of the British people" had already derailed several bills.
20 December 2023, 17:28
The United Kingdom and Rwanda signed a migration agreement in 2022, under which people identified by the UK government as undocumented migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement.
The plan has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and some politicians, who believe the measure will not help stem the flow of migrants. The first deportation of migrants from the UK to Rwanda was scheduled to take place on June 14, 2022. However, the flight was canceled at the last minute due to the European Court of Human Rights ruling.
