Asylum pact
Sunak takes on the European Court of Justice
“No ifs or buts. These flights will take off for Rwanda”: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the asylum pact with Rwanda. photo
© Toby Melville/PA Wire/dpa
The asylum pact with Rwanda is causing controversy. Sunak is still adamant about it. And has already announced that it will ignore interim injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to ignore injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights in connection with his asylum pact with Rwanda. The conservative politician said this at a press conference in London shortly before the start of new discussions in Parliament on his Rwanda law. Nevertheless, he does not see his country in conflict with international law.
The asylum pact with Rwanda stipulates that migrants who entered the country irregularly no longer have the opportunity to apply in Great Britain should receive asylum. Instead, regardless of their origin, they should be brought to Rwanda and apply for asylum there. There are no plans to return to Great Britain. The aim of the regulation is to prevent people from making dangerous journeys across the English Channel in small boats.
Sunak: The first plane should take off in ten to twelve weeks
Sunak said: “As soon as the law is passed, we will begin the process of deporting those scheduled for the first flight.” The first plane is expected to take off in ten to twelve weeks. The government had previously announced the first departure for spring.
Sunak said commercial charter flights had been booked for the deportations. In addition, hundreds of clerks and judges have been chosen to process possible lawsuits. The only flight that was supposed to take off to Rwanda was stopped at the last minute by an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights. The highest court in Great Britain later declared the asylum pact unlawful.
The Rwanda law is now intended to overturn this ruling. The bill is currently stuck in the process between the lower house and the upper house, the majority of which have reservations about it. However, Sunak ordered his party’s MPs in both houses to sit until it was passed. He ruled out any concessions. “No ifs or buts. These flights will take off for Rwanda,” said the Prime Minister.