© REUTERS
The British government has stepped up a gear to implement the controversial migration deal with Rwanda. Additional judges will be called in and more courtrooms will be freed up, Justice Minister Alex Chalk announced on Tuesday. He is thus making a concession to the right wing of the Conservative Party, which believes that the agreement does not go far enough.
Tuesday January 16, 2024 at 5:17 PM
The British government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to immediately send anyone who enters the country illegally to Rwanda. They must submit an asylum application in the African country. The aim is to put an end to illegal migration via the Channel using small boats.
Opponents had argued that the British justice system could become blocked by the appeals of migrants resisting deportation to Rwanda. 25 courtrooms are therefore being freed up and 100 to 150 judges are being seconded to quickly complete these procedures.
A spokesman for Sunak said the British government was taking “every conceivable step” to ensure the deportation flights took place. He emphasizes that the bar for initiating appeal procedures is set “extremely high”. At the same time, “it is also good to ensure that we have the necessary resources to deal with that minority of complaints, should they arise.”
The new asylum law will be discussed again in parliament on Tuesday. MPs belonging to the right wing of the conservative Tories believe that the plans still do not go far enough and have therefore tabled several amendments. Among other things, they want to prevent an appeal procedure from being initiated before an international court.
That Tory rebellion, which is supported by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among others, would consist of about sixty MPs. The Sunak government has a majority of 58 seats in the House of Commons.