UK's contested illegal immigration plan to become law

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters): British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's highly contested plan to make it easier to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is set to become law after the government defeated attempts by parliament's upper house to make changes to the legislation.
The Illegal Migration Bill had been stuck in a battle between parliament's House of Commons and the House of Lords, Britain's unelected upper chamber, which had repeatedly made changes to the legislation to water it down.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the last of those proposed changes was voted down. It can now go for Royal Assent, where it is formally approved by the king and becomes law.
The plan to deport asylum seekers has been criticised by some opposition politicians, lawyers, and civil rights groups as inhumane, cruel and ineffective.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday the bill's passage raises "very serious legal concerns" and sets "a worrying precedent for dismantling asylum-related obligations" that other countries may follow.
YouGov said the results marked a "moderate shift" from January 2021, when 49% said they would vote to rejoin and 37% to stay out.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in May that Brexit is delivering benefits, citing his flagship policy of freeports and VAT cuts that he said would make beer and sanitary products cheaper.
Economists say freeports - special zones containing tax and customs reliefs and simplified trade regulations - are unlikely to boost Britain's economy but may have limited value as a regional development tool.
British business investment has barely grown since mid-2016, in contrast with other advanced economies. While Brexit-supporting economists point to the fact that capital grew strongly in the years leading up 2016 and was bound to slow, business surveys point to Brexit as one cause of the stagnation.