Musings From Abroad

UK lawmakers in Sunak’s party question Rwanda migration bill

Published

5 months ago

December 11, 2023

British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak’s planned migration deal with Rwanda has suffered another blow as lawmakers in his party on Monday insisted that his planned emergency law was not tough enough.

The government’s plan to send thousands of migrants to Rwanda was ruled illegal by the UK Supreme Court last month, ruling that Rwanda could not be regarded as a safe third country.

As a result, Sunak and Rwanda signed a new treaty, and the Prime Minister also introduced emergency legislation that would override both national and international human rights laws and stop deportations. Parliament will hold a first vote on the legislation on Tuesday.

A loss in Tuesday’s election would be catastrophic for the plan and seriously impair his premiership since opinion polls currently show the Conservatives behind the opposition Labour Party by roughly 20 points. However, his party’s detractors presented a dismal picture of the legislation’s prospects, though they did not immediately state that they would vote it down.

Sunak’s spokesperson had earlier told reporters, “We remain confident in our approach; it is both the right and only approach, and we are confident that parliamentarians will rightly scrutinise it but agree with our position.

“We continue to listen carefully to MPs (members of parliament), and we are confident this is the toughest version of legislation that will enable us to stop the boats.”

Following a review of the proposed legislation, members of Sunak’s Conservative Party concluded that it was insufficient and offered only a “partial and incomplete solution” to the issue of deportations being halted by legal challenges.

A legal opinion of a “Star Chamber” committee of senior Conservative lawmakers stated that “resolving, comprehensively, the issues raised by this analysis would require very significant amendments… and the final Bill would look very different.”

Danny Kruger, from the New Conservatives grouping in Sunak’s party, said, “The bill doesn’t yet work, and we’re hopeful that the government will come forward with improvements.”.

Another Conservative lawmaker, Simon Clarke, said the “Star Chamber’s advice was “very concerning” and there were “clear and specific challenges” to the government.

In recent years, illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa have become a major source of concern in Europe. A record 45,000 people had flown across the English Channel in small boats as of June 2023.

Related Topics:Britain Featured Rishi Sunak Rwanda

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Musings From Abroad

China’s Hailiang, Shinzoom to establish vehicle battery installations in Morocco

Published

16 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Hailiang and Shinzoom, Chinese car battery makers, will establish two separate operations in Morocco as the country strives to adapt its burgeoning automotive sector to rising demand for electric vehicles, Moroccan officials announced on Tuesday.

Tanger Tech, the Moroccan northern industrial zone’s development authority, said Hailiang intends to establish a $450 million copper facility on a 30-hectare plot of land. Shinzoom, a subsidiary of Hunan Zhongke, plans to invest $460 million in an anode plant spanning 20 hectares, according to a statement.

In April, the Moroccan government approved Chinese electric battery company BTR New Material Group (835185.BJE)’s plans to build a factory in Tangier to manufacture crucial component cathodes.

Another Chinese firm, CNGR Advanced Material (300919.SZ), plans to develop a cathode plant in Jorf Lasfar, 100 miles south of Casablanca, where the government has set aside 283 hectares for electric battery sectors.

Last year, the Moroccan government and China’s Gotion agreed to examine establishing an electric vehicle battery plant in the country, with a potential investment of up to $6.3 billion. Last month, Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour told Reuters that the Gotion project was moving forward, with conversations over its footprint and location.

Morocco’s strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and existing automotive sector cluster all attract Chinese enterprises.

In 2023, the automotive sector topped Morocco’s industrial exports with $14 billion, a 27% increase. Morocco is home to Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Renault (RENA.PA) production factories with an annual combined capacity of 700,000 automobiles, as well as a network of local suppliers.

Musings From Abroad

Prince Harry, Meghan treated to street-style dances in Nigeria as their trip winds down

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

On Sunday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were treated to street-style dances in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where they announced a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the non-profit Giants of Africa, which utilizes sports to empower young people.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making their first visit to Nigeria, where they were welcomed by the country’s chief of defence staff. The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, where Harry participated in ball-bouncing drills and shot a hoop.

“What you guys are doing here at Giants of Africa is truly amazing,” he said. “The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community and there are no barriers, which is the most important thing.”

The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, and Harry stepped on the court for some ball-bouncing drills and to shoot a hoop.

Former Toronto Raptors star Masai Ujiri, president of Giants of Africa, wished Meghan a happy Mother’s Day and said his organization was uniting communities and uplifting young people through sport, especially. Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa will construct a basketball court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“Talk about full circle again – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization,” she said.
Harry and Meghan were set to round off their Lagos trip by attending a reception for a local charity. The couple live in the United States with their two children after Harry gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.