Rwanda bill to become law after late night row between government and Lords
The prime minister has staked his premiership on the policy, which he says will act as a deterrent to migrants attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats.
Tuesday 23 April 2024 07:52, UK
The government's Rwanda bill will finally become law after the Lords decided they would no longer oppose it following hours of wrangling.
For weeks, peers have been pushing back on the scheme - which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to the African nation - and trying to get ministers to make changes to the controversial legislation.
But after further rounds of so-called "ping pong" saw the bill flit between both Houses throughout Monday evening, both MPs and peers have now agreed to the plan, and it will soon become law - with Rishi Sunak pledging the first flights will take off "in 10 to 12 weeks".
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Latest reaction after government's Rwanda bill passes Lords
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Home Secretary James Cleverly has said the bill will become law "within days", adding that its passage through the Lords was a "landmark moment in our plan to stop the boats".
The Rwanda scheme was first proposed by Boris Johnson two years ago as a way to deter people from making dangerous journeys across the Channel.
But it has faced a raft of criticism from opposition parties, charities and even some of the government's own backbenchers, and no flights have taken off - despite the prime minister's earlier pledge to see them leave "in the spring".
PM can no longer blame his opponents if Rwanda scheme fails to take off
It was shortly after midnight when peers in the House of Lords finally ended their long fight against the government's Safety of Rwanda Bill.
So in the end there was no need for sleeping bags or camp beds and dire threats made by government whips of votes at 3am or even later never materialised.
It had been a day that began with Rishi Sunak demanding that MPs and peers sat through the night if necessary until the bill became law.
And an hour or so before the final retreat by peers, the Commons had voted by a majority of 75 to throw out the last remaining Lords amendment to the bill.
That was on a monitoring process on whether Rwanda is a safe country, as the government claims. This amendment was driven not so much by Labour peers but by the lawyers - including many retired judges - in the Lords.
The UK's Supreme Court also ruled the plan unlawful last November.
After the bill was accepted by the Lords, Freedom From Torture, Amnesty International and Liberty said the UK was increasingly gaining a reputation for "playing fast and loose with its international obligations".
A spokesperson for the organisations said: "We all deserve the chance to live a safe life, and to seek protection when we need it most. This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda.
"No matter how many times the prime minister says so, we know this is not the will of the people."
Analysis: PM can no longer blame his opponents if the Rwanda scheme fails to take off
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But Mr Sunak - who has made "stopping the boats" a central part of his leadership - introduced changes in this bill to establish Rwanda as a "safe country" in British law, and negotiated a new treaty with the nation, believing the measures would solve the legal issues raised.
The migrants risking it all to get to the UK
Despite these revisions, and Mr Sunak calling it "emergency legislation", the parliamentary process has dragged on for months, with peers sending it back on multiple occasions to push for changes.
But at a press conference on Monday morning, the prime minister said "enough is enough", and promised the bill would pass by close of play on the day, "no ifs, no buts".
In its latest parliamentary round on Monday night, the Lords won a concession from the government over its demands to ensure asylum seekers who had worked with British armed forces abroad were not deported to Rwanda.
In a last-minute attempt to see the bill through, they promised to reassess all those from Afghanistan whose claims had been rejected under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, with Home Office minister Lord Sharpe saying: "We will not let them down."
However, there was no compromise on offer for Lord Hope's amendment, which would have required an independent body to rule Rwanda as a "safe country", rather than just declaring it in law - and peers pushed once more for its inclusion on the bill, backing his call by 240 votes to 211.
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Tap hereReturning to the Commons shortly after 10pm, MPs again rejected the amendment thanks to the Conservatives' majority, and the Lords was once more asked to approve the bill - with hopes from the government that it was the final fight.
Around midnight, the Lords agreed there would be no further amendments to the bill, sending it to King Charles for final approval.