Sébastien Le Belzic / Photo credits: JAMES MANNING / POOL / AFP 08:24 a.m., December 13, 2023

In France, the immigration bill was held in check but in the United Kingdom, the bill carried by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, presented as the toughest ever adopted against illegal immigration, passed Tuesday evening its first parliamentary test in the House of Commons, after seven hours of debate.

Unlike France, British MPs voted Tuesday night in favor of the controversial bill on the deportation of migrants to Rwanda, following a high-risk vote for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that saves his head, at least for now.

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Deportation of migrants to Rwanda

313 MPs in favour and 269 against. The text put forward by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was finally adopted on Tuesday evening in the House of Commons. After seven hours of tense debate, the British government's controversial bill, which includes deporting migrants who arrived illegally in the UK to Rwanda, has cleared the first hurdle in Parliament giving Rishi Sunak a break, at least until early next year.

A political victory for Rishi Sunak

Caught between his right wing, which considers the text too moderate, and his left, which considers it too harsh, the British prime minister has been able to manoeuvre skilfully despite the objections of the Supreme Court, which last month blocked a previous version of the bill.

It is therefore a political victory for Rishi Sunak, who has made the fight against illegal immigration his hobbyhorse, hoping to strengthen the Conservative party from which he comes. After 14 years in power, the Conservatives are well ahead in the polls by Labour.