Rishi Sunak is encountering a notable rebellion from within the Tory ranks regarding the legislation aiming to resurrect his proposal to relocate certain asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Over 30 Conservative backbenchers, predominantly from the right wing of the party, are rallying behind amendments to be presented next week, seeking to heighten the difficulty for individuals appealing deportation.
These proposed changes underscore the extent of division within the Tory party concerning this policy, which the Prime Minister has emphasized as a priority.
Government officials assert that the bill permits only an exceedingly small number of appeals.
Support for these amendments includes figures like former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and several former cabinet members, among them former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Robert Jenrick, a former migration minister and a leading dissenter who resigned last month over the draft law, criticized the current bill, expressing concerns that it wouldn't halt a continuous cycle of individual appeals.
The government introduced the bill recently following the Supreme Court's ruling that its plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.
The legislation aims to establish in UK law that Rwanda qualifies as a safe country for refugee relocation, thereby preventing flights from being halted on legal grounds.
However, dissenters argue that the bill, in its current form, could still be obstructed by a barrage of individual appeals. They seek to narrow down the circumstances in which such appeals would be permissible.
Additionally, they aim to make it standard practice for ministers to disregard injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocking flights.
The proposed amendments face an uphill battle at the upcoming vote due to the challenge of garnering support from Labour MPs, necessary to overturn the government's majority.
Nevertheless, while the amendments may not succeed at this stage, they could pose a threat to the bill's progress if they reject it in subsequent stages if their changes aren't incorporated.
A coalition of 29 MPs holds the potential to overturn Mr. Sunak's 56-seat majority if they align with Labour, which opposes the Rwanda policy.
Robert Jenrick, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today program, didn't rule out the prospect of voting down the entire bill if their suggested alterations weren't accepted. However, he emphasized their intent to "win the argument."
There's speculation that the government might offer concessions to the dissenters, but such actions might not materialize until the bill reaches its final parliamentary stages.
Meanwhile, the government faces pressure from Tory MPs on the more liberal One Nation wing, asserting that further tightening of the bill could breach international law.
Jenrick contends that the current bill is destined to fail as it lacks a sustainable deterrent for individuals crossing the Channel to seek asylum.
He emphasizes that deportation appeals should only be permissible in limited cases, such as for pregnant women and those unfit to fly.
Failure to rectify the bill, according to Jenrick, could result in increased illegal crossings, continued operation of migrant hotels, and considerable wastage of taxpayers' money in the future.
Downing Street has previously characterized the bill as "the toughest legislation ever introduced to Parliament," emphasizing the UK Parliament's sovereignty over foreign court decisions. Photo by Davyimage, Wikimedia commons.