London: UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has resigned from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet due to "strong disagreements" with the direction of the Government's policy on the Rwandan migrant deportation scheme.
In a post on X, he said: "It is with great sadness that I have written to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Minister for Immigration." "I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government's policy on immigration."
Jenrick, in his resignation letter which he posted on X, said: "The government has a responsibility to place our vital national interests above highly contested interpretations of international law."
"I have therefore consistently advocated for a clear piece of legislation that severely limits the opportunities for domestic and foreign courts to block or undermine the effectiveness of the policy," he wrote in his resignation letter to Sunak on December 6.
"A bill of the kind you are proposing is a triumph of hope over experience," Jenrick said. I am unable to take the currently proposed legislation through the (House of) Commons as I do not believe it provides us with the best possible chance of success," he added.
Earlier, Jenrick had served as a junior minister in the health and finance departments as well as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
On Wednesday, Sunak posted on X: "We can no longer tolerate endless illegal migration into our country. It costs us billions of pounds and costs innocent lives. That is why we are taking action to put a stop to it."
Sunak said: "Our landmark emergency legislation will control borders, deter people taking perilous journeys across the channel and end the continuous legal challenges filling our courts."
The move marks a significant setback for Sunak at a time when he is fine-tuning his campaign strategy for the 2024 general election. The Opposition Labour Party reacted by dubbing the Conservatives presiding over a “chaotic” government.