British Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick resigned on Wednesday after the publication of a controversial emergency bill on sending migrants to Rwanda, due to “deep disagreement with the direction of the conservative government policy.
His resignation increases the pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, called to be even tougher in the fight against illegal immigration by the right wing of his party, under penalty of being eliminated in the next legislative elections.
“Deep disagreement”
“It is with great sadness that I have written to the Prime Minister tendering my resignation as Minister of Immigration. I cannot remain in my post while I profoundly disagree with the direction of the government’s immigration policy,” wrote Robert Jenrick on X (ex-Twitter).
The bill which will be presented to Parliament on Thursday should make it possible to qualify Rwanda as a “safe country” to send migrants who arrived illegally on British soil, after a heavy setback inflicted in November by the British Supreme Court.
Rishi Sunak called to go further
According to a document released on Wednesday, the government has decided to give its ministers the power to disregard certain sections of the British law on human rights, without however going against the European Convention on Rights of Man, as the right wing of the conservatives demanded.
Robert Jenrick was absent late in the afternoon when this bill was presented to MPs by Interior Minister James Cleverly.
Also holding a tougher line on immigration, former Interior Minister Suella Braverman on Wednesday called on Rishi Sunak to go further to fight against “massive and uncontrolled illegal” immigration, even if it means breaking free. international conventions. At the same time, Rwanda warned on Wednesday that it would withdraw from the treaty aimed at welcoming migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom if London did not respect international law.