Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has stepped down; asserting the government’s emergency legislation on Rwanda immigration did not adequately address the challenge.
He cited the need for “stronger protections” to avoid “the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme”.
The proposed bill aimed to establish Rwanda as a safe haven for asylum seekers in UK law but didn’t satisfy some Conservative demands.
Jenrick, in his resignation letter to Rishi Sunak, stated that while the prime minister had shifted towards his stance, he couldn’t support the current legislation’s potential limitations.
However, Prime Minister Sunak countered Jenrick’s stance, calling his resignation “disappointing” and highlighting concerns about completely sidelining courts, which could jeopardize the scheme’s legitimacy.
The Rwandan immigration plan aimed to dissuade small boat crossings across the English Channel but faced multiple legal challenges, delaying its implementation.
No asylum seekers have been transferred to Rwanda from the UK to date.
Jenrick viewed the emergency legislation as the final opportunity to showcase the government’s commitment to preventing these crossings.
His resignation poses a setback for Sunak, especially amidst attempts to address migration issues.
Labour’s Yvette Cooper criticized the turmoil within the Tory party, stating that even during the announcement of the Rwanda plan, the immigration minister’s resignation demonstrated chaos within the leadership.
The proposed bill seeks to bypass legal hindrances outlined by the Supreme Court regarding deportations to Rwanda.
It orders courts to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act and other laws that impede deportations, albeit falling short of the demands of certain Tory MPs, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The bill’s limitations have sparked internal debates among Conservatives, with divergent opinions on the extent to which international laws should be overridden.
The proposed legislation’s compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights remains a subject of contention and potential legal challenges.
Source-BBC
