The government’s Rwanda bill will finally become law after the Lords decided not to make any further amendments in a late-night session.
for weeks, Colleagues are insisting on this plan – who wants to deport asylum seekers coming to Britain via small boats to the African nation – and is trying to push ministers to make changes to the controversial law.
But after further rounds of so-called “ping pong” between the two houses rejected the bill by Monday evening, both MPs and peers have now agreed on the plan, and it will soon become law – with Rishi Sunak promises first flights will start “in 10 to 12 weeks”,
Government’s latest reaction after passing Rwanda bill
The Rwanda plan was first proposed by Boris Johnson two years ago to stop people making the dangerous journey across the Channel.
But it has faced criticism from opposition parties, donors and even some government backbenchers, and no flights have been flown – despite the Prime Minister’s earlier pledge that they would be flown “in the spring”. .
Britain’s Supreme Court had also declared this scheme illegal last November.
But Mr Sunak – who has made “stopping the boats” a central part of his leadership – introduced changes to the bill to establish Rwanda as a “safe country” in British law, and forge a new relationship with the nation. Negotiated the treaty, believing that the measures would resolve the legal issues raised.
Despite these amendments, and Mr Sunak calling it “emergency legislation”, the parliamentary process has dragged on for months, with peers sending it back on several occasions to insist on changes.
but at A press conference on Monday morningThe Prime Minister said, “Enough is enough”, and promised that the bill would be passed by the end of the game that day, “with no ifs and buts”.
PM is adamant that there will be flights to Rwanda
In his latest parliamentary term On Monday night, the Lords won a concession from the government on its demands to ensure asylum seekers working with the British armed forces abroad are not sent to Rwanda.
In a last-minute attempt to pass the bill, he promised to repatriate all Afghans whose claims were rejected under the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, Home Office minister Lord Sharp said. : “We won’t let them down.”
However, there was no agreement on Lord Hope’s proposed amendment, which would have required an independent body to rule over Rwanda as a “safe country”, rather than simply declaring it in law – and peers rejected the bill. His call was supported by 240 votes to 211.
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Returning to the Commons shortly after 10 p.m., MPs again rejected the amendment due to the Conservatives’ majority, and the Lords were once again asked to approve the bill – with the government expecting this to be the final battle. Was.
Around midnight, the Lords agreed that there would be no further amendments to the bill, sending it to King Charles for final approval.
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