British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Holds Breakfast Meeting With Conservative MPs Over Rwanda Immigration Bill
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met on Tuesday with a faction of his Conservative party to rally support for the government’s controversial plan to move irregular migrants to Rwanda. The bill, which would set up the framework for deportations, was scheduled for debate and expected to face a vote in the House of Commons later in the day.
Parliamentary proceedings were set to begin at 12:30 GMT, with the anticipated vote not likely before 17:00 GMT. The timing reflected the complexity of the issue and the careful consideration MPs were giving to the proposal.
Facing dissatisfaction from the Conservative right wing, including members aligned with the European Research Group, Sunak hosted roughly 20 MPs for breakfast at Downing Street. Local media reported the gathering as an effort to secure backing for the legislation before the day’s votes.
Officials described the aim as persuading the lawmakers to support the bill, which supporters argue is central to the government’s strategy ahead of next year’s general election. Critics, however, say the measures do not fully address the underlying asylum and migration challenges.
A note from legal advisers to the European Research Group reportedly indicated that the bill offers only a partial solution and may fail to achieve its stated objectives. The advice suggested the proposed reforms do not go far enough to guarantee the removal of flights to Rwanda carrying asylum seekers.
Sunak signaled his intent to advance legislation implementing the plan while also addressing concerns raised by the Ministry of Justice about Rwanda’s suitability as a safe destination for immigrants.
Officials stated the bill would present a partial and incomplete approach to legal challenges in UK courts and could potentially delay or prevent the removal of foreign nationals to Rwanda based on those challenges.
The government has in place a new agreement with Rwanda to operationalize the plan. Under existing policy, individuals who entered the UK illegally and were found to be without a viable asylum claim have been transferred to Rwanda for processing of their asylum requests after a Supreme Court ruling deemed the previous arrangement unlawful.
In November, the Supreme Court ruled that Rwanda was not necessarily a safe destination because there were concerns about migrants being sent back to their countries of origin. The government has argued that the plan could act as a deterrent to reduce the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, while continuing to work with France and other partners on border management and refugee processing.