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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday vowed to do everything necessary to carry out the much-anticipated Rwanda plan and unveiled an emergency law to remove every "obstruction" against its implementation.
The UK PM said that the new bill addresses the apex court's concerns and ends the "merry-go-round" of legal challenges that blocked the policy. Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, Sunak said, "Today the government has introduced the toughest anti-legal immigration law ever." "We will get flights off the ground, we will deter illegal migrants from coming here and we will finally stop the boats," Sunak stated. He said that because some people are "cutting all" the rules, it undermines the fairness of the system and makes the country lose control of its borders. "I'm the child of immigrants. I understand why some people take the risk of getting into unsafe...to cross open waters. But the difference is that my family came here legally," he added. Sunak said that the legislation is important to restore people's trust and ensure that the system is fair. Notably, the UK Supreme Court last month blocked the Sunak government's Rwanda plan, terming it "unlawful." "So our bill today fundamentally addresses the Supreme Court's concerns over the safety of Rwanda. I did not agree with that judgement, but I respect it. That is why we have spent the last three weeks working tirelessly to respond to their concerns and to guarantee Rwanda's safety in a new, legally binding international treaty," he said. He added, "Rwanda is a safe country. And today's bill also ends the merry-go-round of legal challenges that have blocked our policy for far too long." The Sunak-led Conservative government is struggling over the issue of the deportation of illegal migrants. Last month, Sunak sacked former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, considered one of the staunchest advocates of the Rwanda plan, over her controversial remarks. She later accused Sunak of not being aggressive enough on the issue. Earlier on Wednesday, UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick also resigned from his position over Sunak's stance on the Rwanda plan. Sunak further said that the bill includes 'not withstanding clauses' which means that the domestic courts of the UK "will no longer be able to use any domestic or international law," including the Human Rights Act, to stop the government from deporting illegal migrants. "This bill blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off. The only extremely narrow exception will be that if you can prove with credible and compelling evidence that you specifically have a real and imminent risk of serious and irreversible harm," he further said. Sunak added that even if the new law faces a challenge from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, he will do "whatever is necessary" to go ahead with the plan. "I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights. If the Strasburg court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament, I will do what is necessary to get flights off...Of course, our Rwanda policy is just one part of our wider strategy to stop the boats and that strategy is working," he said. He said that the UK has signed cooperation agreements with France. Bulgaria. Turkey. Italy and Georgia. "We will get flights off the ground, we will deter illegal migrants from coming here and we will finally stop the boats," Sunak added. (ANI)
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