Megan Specia

The plan has been in the works for years, but the passage of a contentious bill by Britain’s Parliament puts the country closer to sending asylum seekers to the African nation.

After a swift political rise, the 37-year-old is set to become Ireland’s premier on Tuesday. But his time as head of the government could be short.

In an unexpected announcement, Leo Varadkar said he would resign from the leadership of the country and of his party, Fine Gael.

The vote against the changes dealt a blow to a government that had hoped for an easy victory. But the outcome does not necessarily reflect a turn toward a more conservative electorate.

The country will consider two amendments: one to remove the reference to a woman’s domestic duties and another to expand the definition of family.

After a national incident was declared in January, officials have been scrambling to address problematically low levels of immunization.