LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Monday to start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks as the upper house of parliament finally passed the required legislation, delayed for weeks by attempts to alter the plan.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Monday to start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks as the upper house of parliament finally passed the required legislation, delayed for weeks by attempts to alter the plan.
"No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda," Mr Sunak told a news conference earlier on Monday. Mr Sunak's new law states some existing UK human rights statutes will not apply to the scheme and Rwanda must be treated by British judges as a safe destination, in a bid to override a Supreme Court ruling which declared the scheme unlawful.The legislation returned on Monday to the House of Commons — the elected lower house — where lawmakers removed changes proposed by the Lords before the upper chamber considered it again.
Speaking before the legislation was passed, Mr Sunak said an airfield was on standby, slots were booked for flights and 500 staff were ready to escort migrants"all the way to Rwanda". He had previously said he hoped the policy would be operational by spring, without giving a precise date.