King Charles Backs UK PM's Rwanda Bill For Asylum Seekers, Grants Royal Assent

UK's King Charles III has backed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. After the controversial bill was passed by the UK Parliament, King Charles has granted royal assent for the legislative process.

The bill was approved after a long battle between Rishi Sunak and his opponents. With King Charles' approval, the Rwanda Asylum Bill now has the "rubber stamp" it needed to turn into a law.

The announcement of the King's assent was made on Thursday in the House of Lords. With this, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill is now all set to become a law.

Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill was approved by the UK parliament on Tuesday. After the approval of the bill, the UK PM announced that the first flights to Rwanda are expected to take off 10 to 12 weeks after the passing of the bill.

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What is UK's Rwanda Bill?

The Rwanda bill was introduced by PM Rishi Sunak as an effort to combat the high migration rate in the UK. Under this bill, all asylum seekers arriving to the UK through irregular means would be sent to Rwanda and not granted asylum in Britain.

The bill was presented against the backdrop of asylum-seekers arriving via small boats across the English Channel. While the Conservative government claims this policy will help deter and reduce dangerous crossing as well as the migration rate, experts, opposition and certain Tory members disputed this bill.

UK Government Changes Visa Rules To Curb Migration

Along with the Rwanda Bill, the UK Government has introduced various to visa policy for foreign workers and international students. The initiatives, which were led by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, include banning international students from bringing their family and dependents to the UK with them.

Another change that was brought in was by reviewing the “Graduate Route” for students. Based on this, students who have completed their higher education would be required to get a job in the UK within six months of graduating or leave the country. Earlier, this time limit was two years.