'Gambling with lives': Scottish leader slams Rishi Sunak's bet on deportation flights

Scottish leader, Humza Yousaf, lambasted British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on Monday, accusing him of “gambling on people’s lives”, after accepting a bet that migrant deportation flights to Rwanda will begin before general elections later this year, Anadolu Agency reports.

During an interview, talk show host, Piers Morgan, asked Sunak: “I’ll bet you £1,000 ($1,253) to a refugee charity, you don’t get anybody on those planes before the election. Will you take that bet?”

In response, Sunak extended his hand to the TV host, affirming that Rwanda deportations are a pivotal component of his government’s “overall plan” on migration policy.

“This Tory UK Government always finds a way of degrading itself even further. We should boot every Tory MP out of office. The SNP is second place in every Tory-held seat in Scotland. Vote SNP to ensure Scotland is Tory free,” Yousaf said on X.

The bet between Sunak and Morgan has sparked widespread controversy, with critics arguing that it trivialises serious issues surrounding deportation and human rights.

Yousaf’s denunciation underscores growing tensions between the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Tory government, particularly in light of ongoing debates surrounding immigration policies and human rights violations.

The controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda while their claims are being processed was ruled illegal by the UK’s highest court, which determined that the East African country is not a safe place for asylum seekers to be housed.

The government then changed the bill to ensure that Rwanda was safe for asylum seekers.

However, the bill now has to be approved by the House of Lords, which according to reports, is against the scheme.

READ: Sunak wins first vote in upper house on Rwanda asylum law