Rishi Sunak has promised not to allow foreign courts to stop Britain sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, even as a group of more centrist Conservative MPs urges him not to abandon Britain’s international human rights commitments.
The prime minister expressed frustration on Friday due to delays in the implementation of the Rwanda plan, which was deemed unlawful by the supreme court last month.
As Conservative Members of Parliament continued to publicly dispute whether the United Kingdom should supersede the European Convention on Human Rights, the Prime Minister stated that he would not allow international judges to impede the plan.
Sunak, while addressing journalists at the Cop summit in Dubai, stated that there should be no further obstacles within the country to implement this program. However, he also made it clear that he will not tolerate any foreign court blocking flights from taking off. He expressed his frustration and noted that the patience of the British people is also running thin.
Some conservative hardliners, such as former home secretary Suella Braverman, have exerted significant pressure on the prime minister to reject or disregard Britain’s obligations to the ECHR and the UN refugee convention in order to initiate flights to Rwanda.
A different set of moderates is advising the prime minister against giving in to these requests, emphasizing the significance of adhering to global regulations.
Over 20 members of the centrist One Nation group within the Tory party have sent a letter to the prime minister, cautioning him against backing out of Britain’s international commitments.
Damian Green, the former immigration minister, was one of nearly 30 MPs to sign the letter, which was first reported by the Financial Times. He said: “We want Britain to meet its international obligations and defend the rule of law.”
Conservative MP Sir Bob Neill, who chairs the justice committee in the House of Commons, stated to the Financial Times that there is discomfort among Conservative voters in traditional areas when it comes to confronting institutions and a desire to adhere to established treaties.
During a recent interview with the Times, James Cleverly, who replaced Braverman as home secretary, hinted that he understands and agrees with the viewpoints of the centrist MPs.
The speaker expressed reluctance to take any actions that could harm the important partnerships with countries that strongly support the European Convention on Human Rights for valid reasons. He acknowledged that all decisions come with consequences and must be carefully weighed, considering both the benefits and drawbacks.
Sunak is currently focusing on developing domestic laws and negotiating a new agreement with Rwanda. His goal is to address the issues highlighted by the supreme court in the previous month. The judges expressed concern that the current plan may result in individuals being returned to their home countries even if they have successfully applied for asylum.
According to Braverman, a potential new agreement with Rwanda may enable the UK to send monitors to ensure that refugees are not subjected to mistreatment. However, recent reports indicate that Kigali may be losing interest in this proposal, possibly due to backlash against its current asylum practices.
On Friday, Sunak announced that a new agreement with Rwanda and upcoming domestic laws were in the works.
“We are currently in the process of finalizing that,” he stated. “It is crucial that we ensure accuracy, as this is an extremely important matter.”
Source: theguardian.com
