A new British law should allow the deportation of boat people to Rwanda. But there is resistance in the House of Lords. Among others, the Archbishop of Canterbury now opposed the law.
Rishi Sunak is not having it that easy right now. The British prime minister lost the local elections with a bang. Staying on course is the motto, he wants to deliver and at almost every opportunity he names the five things that the conservatives want to do: “Half inflation, boost the economy, reduce debt, reduce waiting times in the health service and stop the boats. That’s what they demand the people of us.”
And because inflation is not that easy to get a grip on and the waiting lists in the health service are getting longer rather than shorter, there is great pressure to at least be able to achieve success in asylum policy.
The government wants to stop the boats that come to England via the English Channel. Anyone who arrives here is to be deported to Rwanda – which has also been legally difficult up to now.
Archbishop of Canterbury criticizes proposed law
Now the government has introduced a new law. But there is resistance in the House of Lords. There, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who also sits in the House of Lords, has taken a clear position.
It is morally unacceptable and politically impractical to leave the poorest countries alone to deal with the crisis. The Archbishop announced proposed changes. Similar statements were made by numerous other Members of the House of Lords. A total of over 80 members of the House of Lords had spoken.
Liberal Democrat MP Lord Brian Paddick questioned the very idea of the government’s asylum policy. He doubts that the deportations to Rwanda will act as a deterrent: “Can the state secretary tell me what evidence the ministry has as to which part of the law deters the refugees?” He asked the government to provide evidence of the deterrent effect.
extreme right Minister of the Interior beats the drum
Interior Secretary Suella Braverman wrote in The Times that MPs should weigh their criticism against the will of the people to close the borders. She argued that in 2019 the government was elected to do so, enshrined in the government program to regain control of the borders.
Braverman belongs to the extreme right wing of the Conservatives. She had attracted attention in the past with populist statements. She spoke of an “invasion” of refugees. The numbers are rather manageable, in 2022 fewer than 50,000 people crossed the English Channel to England. Above all, numerous MPs criticize the fact that the government’s law is poorly crafted and contradicts international law.
The law provides for deportation within 28 days
According to the law, anyone arriving in the UK by boat should be deported within 28 days. The government has concluded agreements with Albania and Rwanda. A British court had allowed the practice of deportation, but refugee organizations have appealed. Refugees could also turn to the European Court of Human Rights, which has already prevented deportation.
The government’s plans include suspending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. Numerous changes will now be introduced in the upper house before the draft goes back to the lower house.