Rishi Sunak has faced criticism for agreeing to make a £1,000 bet with broadcaster Piers Morgan over his Rwanda policy.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Mr Sunak said he was “not a betting person” but shook hands with Morgan, after betting that deportation flights would take off before the next general election.
The prime minster defended his stance and said he has “absolute commitment” to the Rwanda policy.
Mr Sunak said: “The point I was trying to get across was actually about the Rwanda policy and about tackling illegal migration because it's something I care deeply about.”
"Obviously people have strong views on this. And I just was underlining my absolute commitment to this policy and my desire to get it through Parliament, up and running, because I believe you need to have a deterrent."
On January 17, the Rwanda bill passed the third reading in the House of Commons, passing by 320 votes to 276 – a majority 44 in favour of the legislation. The bill will now go to the House of Lords, where it will follow a similar process of scrutiny.
Why do some people claim Rwanda is dangerous?
Introduced by Mr Sunak, the Rwanda safety bill aims to address issues related to asylum seekers being relocated to Rwanda.
The Rwanda policy was introduced in 2022 and aims to send asylum seekers who arrive illegally in the UK to Rwanda, where their claim would be processed.
Experts and critics of the Rwanda have drawn attention to the risk of legislating that Rwanda is a “safe country.”
The UK supreme court deemed the government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful because of the country’s lack of safety.
The court raised Rwanda’s poor human rights records, specifically the Tutsi genocide in 1994 and issues with its asylum processing. Although the crime rate is relatively low in Rwanda, the UK government website says: “Terrorist attacks in Rwanda cannot be ruled out.”
What have MPs said about how safe Rwanda is?
The Rwanda safety bill has been a topic of debate in UK parliament. In its third reading, 313 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill, while 269 Labour MPs voted against it and 38 MPs abstained.
Some MPs have supported the bill, emphasising the need to secure UK borders and reform the asylum system.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “This Bill has been meticulously drafted to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges.”
At the bill’s third debate, the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “The only thing the Tories all seem to agree on is that the scheme is failing …the prime minister is failing and they know it.”
Last week, the foreign secretary, David Cameron, urged his fellow peers to back the bill, saying “It’s absolutely essential that we stop the boats and that we fulfil the Prime Minister’s plan.”
He added: “It’s not acceptable to have people travelling from a perfectly safe country – France – to another safe country – Britain – and to be able to stay, and that’s what the Rwanda plan is all about and why I urge the House of Lords to pass this Bill.”
However, some have criticised the bill, including hard-right MPs who have said it is not “sufficiently watertight”.
Conservative MP Sir Simon Clark told the BBC he believed the bill will “fail on contact with reality”.
What is the UK government’s official line?
The UK government wants Rwanda to be considered a “safe third country” to send asylum seekers to while their claim is processed.
What does the Rwandan government say?
The Rwandan government has warned the UK that “they would not accept the UK basing this scheme on legislation that could be considered in breach of [the UK's] international law obligations”.
