Rishi Sunak wins immigration debate in UK Parliament; how is it a win-win situation for Indian-origin PM

London, December 13

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In a boost for Britain’s Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, MPs in the House of Commons approved by 313 votes to 269 what is called a second reading of a House of Commons Bill, which aims to deport to Rwanda asylum seekers arriving in the UK, who in the British government’s assessment are ineligible.

Sunak said: “The British people should decide who gets to come to this country — not criminal gangs or foreign courts. That’s what this Bill delivers.”

Mark Francois, representing a significant number of right-wing Conservative MPs, told the press that this group could not support the Bill in the third reading, expected to be introduced in the New Year.

For the moment, they refrained from pulling the rug on Sunak on the basis that he had indicated to them that he was willing to accept amendments that would tighten the Bill.

A seven-hour debate occurred on a day when news broke of an asylum seeker housed on a barge off the southern English coast — whose application was being processed — being found dead on the vessel.

The Guardian reported he “is believed to have killed himself”. The Times headlined ‘Migrant dies in “suicide” on Bibby Stockholm barge’.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly opened the debate saying: “The actions that we are taking whilst novel, whilst very much pushing at the edge of the envelope, are within the framework of international law.”

His former deputy – Immigration Minister – Robert Jenrick, who was entrusted with the task of piloting the Bill, but resigned last week on the grounds that the wording did not go far enough to guarantee deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, contradicted Cleverly.

“It will not,” he said, “stop people appealing as individuals against deportation orders”.

He added: “The courts will be overwhelmed with claims, and detention facilities will fill up. People will have to be released, and they will disappear.”