New UK migration legislation that seeks to declare Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers passed the House of Commons on Wednesday, January 17 after the majority voted against any amendment to it.

The bill, tabled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, seeks to address concerns by the UK Supreme Court, which ruled that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda from the UK would risk being sent back to their countries of origin.

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Despite opposition from some MPs from Sunak’s Conservative Party, the bill passed the third reading in the Commons by 320 votes to 276 - a majority of 44 for the government.

The next stage is the House of Lords.

Sunak says the migration partnership with Rwanda will play a key role in stopping illegal migrants arriving in the UK through the English Channel.

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In 2022, the number of people crossing the Channel on small boats exceeded 45,700, mainly lured into the country by criminal gangs on promises of jobs, according to the UK government.

On December 5, the UK and Rwandan governments signed a new migration treaty that seeks to re-emphasise in a binding manner the provisions of the initial partnership initiated in April 2022.

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The treaty, signed in Kigali by UK Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwanda’s foreign minister Vincent Biruta, provides for creation of an appeals tribunal in Rwanda.

Asylum seekers sent from the UK will be able to appeal in case their asylum claims are turned down.