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UK’s upper house votes to delay plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda
The United Kingdom’s upper house of parliament has voted to delay Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The vote by the unelected House of Lords on Monday came despite Sunak urging its members to back his plan, which he has characterised as the will of the people.
The upper house voted 214 to 171 to delay the ratification of a related treaty London signed with Kigali until the government can demonstrate that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers to be sent to.
The chamber does not have the power to block the so-called Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill indefinitely, but could delay the legislation for up to a year.
The move comes after the more powerful House of Commons on Wednesday narrowly passed the bill after some Conservative MPs threatened to vote against the government on the grounds the legislation was not robust enough to survive legal challenges.
Sunak has made the controversial immigration plan a key plank of his bid to return to power in an expected general election this year that the centre-left Labour Party is strongly tipped to win.
Sunak introduced the legislation after the UK Supreme Court last year ruled that the safety of asylum seekers deported to Rwanda could not be guaranteed.
The bill would make it harder for courts to challenge the Rwanda policy by allowing the government to set aside certain provisions of human rights law and asking the House of Commons to declare by majority vote that the African country is safe for asylum seekers.
Sunak has said he wants deportations to begin within months to meet his pledge to “stop the boats” carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson first announced the Rwanda plan in 2022 to deny people arriving by “irregular means” the opportunity to apply for asylum in the UK.
The first Rwanda-bound flight from the UK was halted in June of that year after a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ruled that one of the asylum seekers on board was at “real risk of irreversible harm” in the East African nation.
(Aljazeera)
Latest News
President instructs officials to curb drug trafficking and underworld activities in prisons
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directed officials to take immediate measures to suppress drug trafficking and underworld activities that operated within the prison system. These instructions were issued during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (30).
The President emphasized the need to expedite legal proceedings related to inmates involved in drug and underworld-related activities. He also proposed adopting online methods to streamline the judicial process and highlighted the importance of enhancing infrastructure to address challenges associated with such digital systems.
Allegations of certain officials’ involvement in irregular activities within prisons were also addressed during the meeting. The President instructed that disciplinary actions be supplemented with appropriate legal measures against any officials found to be involved.
The discussion also focused on vacancies in the Government Analyst’s Department, with participants agreeing on the urgent need to fill these positions promptly.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Justice and National Integration Attorney Harshana Nanayakkara, Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Attorney Ayesha Jinasena, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya, and other officials.
Latest News
Implement necessary plans swiftly to make Sri Lanka an attractive tourist destination – President instructs officials
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has instructed officials to promptly implement the necessary plans to position Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for tourists.
He further emphasized that the successful implementation of the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative would strengthen efforts to promote the tourism industry.
The President made these remarks during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat today (30), where discussions were held on positioning Sri Lanka as one of Asia’s most valuable and environmentally sustainable islands.
Additionally, discussions focused on promoting the tourism sector through environmental and cultural avenues. Special attention was given to uniting all stakeholders from both the formal and informal sectors to advance the country’s tourism industry.
Latest News
Major General Lasantha Rodrigo and Rear Admiral Kanchnna Banagoda appointed as new Army and Navy Commanders
President Anura Kumar Disanayake has appointed Major General Lasantha Rodrigo as the new Commander of the Army and Rear Admiral Kanchnna Banagoda as the new Commander of the Navy.
The official appointment letters were presented to the newly appointed commanders today (30) by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat.
Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage and Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera are scheduled to retire from their respective positions tomorrow (31).
(PMD)
President instructs officials to curb drug trafficking and underworld activities in prisons
President’s Fund to relocate to a new office in the New Year
Implement necessary plans swiftly to make Sri Lanka an attractive tourist destination – President instructs officials
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