British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial bill faces an important vote in parliament this Tuesday (12). The measure seeks to deport immigrants seeking asylum from the United Kingdom to Rwanda.
The policy, which aims to prevent the arrival of immigrants through the Macha canal (between England and France), has already been declared illegal by the British Supreme Court.
This Tuesday’s vote (12) is an important thermometer for Rishi Sunak, since the issue of immigration is the second most important policy for the British, second only to the economy, according to data from the English government.
About the project
The project was already discussed last year, during Boris Johnson’s term. The idea was to deport anyone who arrived in the UK illegally to Rwanda. The law includes immigrants of any nationality.
The British government paid around 240 million pounds to carry out the project. The law would come into force in 2022, but an injunction prevented the first flight from going to Rwanda, in June last year.
After that, the British Supreme Court declared the project illegal, claiming that Rwanda has no structure and is not a safe country to receive a high number of immigrants. The Court fears that these people will subsequently be sent to their countries of origin, increasing the risk of persecution and violence.
About voting
The “Rwanda Security Bill” faces a decisive vote on Tuesday (12) in the English parliament. Sunak’s party has a majority in the plenary, which guarantees a preliminary advantage.
The Prime Minister made some changes to the text, so that deportation measures would not be prevented by British courts.
Losing in parliament could put Sunak’s job at stake.
Why the project is important to Sunak
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the issue of immigration a priority during his campaign for office.
The project would bring breathing space to Sunak, who faces an election next year. The prime minister’s party is around 20 percentage points behind the opposition party, putting even more pressure on the president for a victory in parliament.
Immigration issue in the United Kingdom
In 2022, the number of immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom broke a record, exceeding 745 thousand. Most were Ukrainians who fled the war.
The British government currently spends £3 million a year on processing asylum applications, including accommodation and food for immigrants.
The issue has haunted the government since 2016, which led to the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union (EU) following Brexit.
*With information from Reuters
Source: CNN Brasil
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