UK parliament's approves Rwanda asylum bill

STORY: Sunak faced down the rebellion by right-wingers in his Conservative Party by offering only token compromises to those who demanded he toughen a new bill to tackle illegal immigration in moves centrists feared could breach human rights protections.

With the Conservatives trailing the opposition Labour Party in the polls before this year's election, some lawmakers were concerned about rejecting a plan voters might feel could reduce high immigration rates - a crucial issue for some Britons.

Sunak has made stopping arrivals of asylum seekers crossing over from France in small boats a central aim of his government and says the Rwanda plan would create a deterrent.

Under the plan, migrants who arrive in Britain illegally face being sent to Rwanda some 4,000 miles (6,400 km) away to have their asylum claims processed.

Defeating the rebellion may offer Sunak some breathing space to focus on tackling Britain's flagging economy and offer voters tax cuts in a budget on March 6.

But immigration is not likely to go away, as the Rwanda legislation will next head to parliament's House of Lords, where it could face stumbling blocks.