The UK parliament's upper house approved on Tuesday the legislation that allows the government to carry out a plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda.
The bill now awaits the final stage of royal assent, where it will become an Act of Parliament (law). No date has been set for royal assent.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged that within ten to 12 weeks, his country would begin sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The government, Sunak said, had reserved commercial charter aircraft and trained personnel to transport migrants to Rwanda.
“For almost two years, our opponents have used every trick in the book to block fights and keep the boats coming,” Sunak said. “But enough is enough. No more prevarication, no more delay.”
The legislative deadlock was the latest obstacle to the implementation of a scheme that has been consistently blocked by a series of court rulings and criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that it is unlawful and inhumane. Advocates for migrants have reportedly promised to continue their efforts to oppose it.
The legislation has been passed despite not only local but also international criticism. At the end of March, the UN Human Rights Committee called on the UK to drop the controversial plan as it "discriminates against migrants" and "seeks to limit access to rights for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants."
Moreover, this policy seems to be gaining momentum: last week, the media reported, citing leaked documents, that the UK entered into negotiations with four more countries, including two African ones, to which it could send illegal migrants. These countries include Cote d’Ivoire, Botswana, Costa Rica and Armenia.
Furthermore, several African countries, including Cape Verde, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Angola and Sierra Leone, were placed on a reserve list to be used in case an agreement could not be reached with other countries, the media added.