British Immigration Minister Robert Generic has tendered his resignation today, Wednesday, following the government’s hurried enactment of a contentious treaty signed with Rwanda.
This treaty involves the deportation of migrants to the East African country.
According to reports by the French press, the UK Home Secretary, James Cleverly, informed members of parliament that Robert Generic had resigned, a move that increases pressure on the Conservative Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
London and Kigali signed a new treaty on Tuesday, aiming to push forward a controversial plan for the deportation of illegal immigrants and arrivals to the United Kingdom to Rwanda.
The British government is attempting to salvage this crucial measure as part of its policy to combat irregular migration, despite the UK Supreme Court rejecting it in mid-November and upholding a lower court ruling that deemed it unlawful.
The British Home Secretary and the Rwandan Foreign Minister, Vincent Biruta, signed the new agreement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
The UK Home Office stated in a press release that the new treaty directly addresses the findings of the Supreme Court and provides a new, long-term solution.
The 43-page legally binding agreement stipulates that deported migrants to Rwanda should “not be at risk of being sent to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened.
It also mandates the establishment of a joint court with both Rwandan and British judges in Kigali to ensure the security of migrants and prevent their deportation to their home countries after arriving in Rwanda, as confirmed by Alan Mucurulinda, Deputy Government Spokesperson, during a press conference.
The Conservative government aims to take a firm stance on reducing both legal and illegal migration, as the Labour Party, the main opposition party, leads in opinion polls for the upcoming legislative elections next year.
