Rishi Sunak is staging a last-ditch bid to win over right-wing Conservatives MPs threatening to defeat his Rwanda deportation legislation.
The PM faces a mounting rebellion over the flagship immigration policy, with Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith poised to back rebel amendments to the bill.
Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith said they would defy the Government by joining more than 60 Tory MPs who are seeking to disapply international law from the Bill and curtail asylum seekers’ rights to appeal against flights to Kigali.
But any attempt by Mr Sunak to placate them would be opposed by more moderate Tories, who are keen to protect the legislation against breaches of international law.
It comes as the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has concluded after a legal assessment of the UK government’s new Rwanda bill that it’s not compatible with international law.
The UNHCR said the modified Rwanda scheme “does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law”.
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UNHCR concludes Sunak’s new Rwanda Bill violates international law
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has concluded after a legal assessment of the UK government’s new Rwanda bill that it’s not compatible with international law.
The UNHCR said the modified Rwanda scheme “does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law”.
In its published analysis on Monday evening the UNHCR concluded: “UNHCR has reviewed the updated UK-Rwanda scheme in light of the principles and standards set out in its 2022 analysis and summarised in Part I above.
“It maintains its position that the arrangement, as now articulated in the UK-Rwanda Partnership Treaty and accompanying legislative scheme23 does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law.”
Voters turn on ‘spineless’ Sunak as dire poll results and Rwanda row spark fresh leadership crisis
Rishi Sunak is facing a landslide general election defeat because he is seen as “spineless and false” and makes people “cringe”, according to a top pollster.
Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson joins right-wing Rwanda bill rebellion
The Conservative party’s deputy chairman Lee Anderson has rocked Rishi Sunak’s authority by backing rebel MPs defying the prime minister over his Rwanda bill.
The senior Tory figure has effectively dared Mr Sunak to sack him by announcing that he is supporting the right-wingers who are pushing for last-minute changes to the deportation legislation.
Almost 60 Conservative MPs have now backed amendments by ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick aimed at toughening the bill ahead of a showdown vote on Wednesday.
Welcome to the Independent’s coverage of the crunch Rwanda vote
Rishi Sunak is staging a last-ditch bid to win over right-wing Conservatives MPs threatening to defeat his Rwanda deportation legislation.
It came as the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has concluded after a legal assessment of the UK government’s new Rwanda bill that it’s not compatible with international law.
The UNHCR said the modified Rwanda scheme “does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law”.
