Hungarian Conservative

After years of negotiations and legal battles, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill passed on the floor of Parliament, with 240 members voting ‘content’ and 211 voting ‘not content’. Welcoming the passing of the bill, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that planes with migrants on board will be ready to take off and fly to Rwanda in East Africa in 10–12 weeks.

The fate of the motion was uncertain right up until the votes in the House were tallied, as many members of the governing Conservative Party faction indicated their inability to accept the proposal, deeming the suggested legislation insufficiently radical. In the event of the proposal’s failure, several members of the Tory faction’s right wing signalled their readiness to initiate a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Katalin Novák emphasised that this is the first occasion for a Hungarian President to visit Rwanda, and it could therefore be a milestone in bilateral relations.

Parts of the December 2022 ruling that said sending migrants to Rwanda was legal may now be challenged at the UK Court of Appeal.