UK passes bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda: What’s next?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks at a news conference at Downing Street, in London, on April 22, 2024. Sunak pledged that the country’s first deportation flights to Rwanda could leave in 10 to 12 weeks [Toby Melville/AP Photo]

The British government’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda have finally been approved by parliament, ending a months-long deadlock between the lower and upper chambers over the legality of the policy.

Under the new law, any asylum seekers who arrive illegally in Britain will be sent to Rwanda. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged that the first flight will leave as early as July, promising a wave of deportations “come what may” over the summer.