Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been given the green light after peers caved to pressure and passed the government’s flagship immigration bill.
Just one amendment was left standing as parliamentarians sat through a long night of votes on the asylum legislation on Monday. However Lords withdrew the amendment on the second round of voting, conceding that they must now “acknowledge the primacy of the elected house”.
The amendment would have made sure that an independent monitoring committee declared Rwanda a safe country before asylum seekers could be sent there.
A second amendment, which called for Afghans who served with British forces to be exempt from deportations, was also dropped on Monday night by peers who claimed they had won a concession from the government on the matter.
Earlier, prime minister Rishi Sunak said flights to Rwanda have been booked and will take off by July, “no ifs, no buts”.
Mr Sunak told a surprise Downing Street press conference that the first flight carrying asylum seekers would leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, despite the problems he has faced passing it into law.
Rights groups condemn Sunak’s Rwanda plan
Human rights organisations have condemned prime minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship immigration bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda after it finally won approval from the parliament.
Freedom from Torture, Amnesty International and Liberty, criticised the British government for ignoring the findings of the supreme court, which had ruled the policy unlawful.
“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,” a spokesperson for the organisations said.
“No matter how many times the prime minister says so, we know this is not the will of the people.
“Caring people up and down the UK want to see men, women and children who’ve fled war, persecution and torture given protection and security, so they can recover and rebuild their lives in safety
.“Instead of punishing people who’ve already been through so much, we need compassionate and protection-focused policies.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 07:30
Migrants not dissuaded by Rwanda Bill
A BBC live report from the beaches of Calais shows a small boat attempting to cross the Channel hours after the landmark bill was passed.
The small boat can be seen in the live broadcast “turning back and forth” trying to avoid the attention of a French military boat as a spotter plane flies overhead.
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Tom Symonds in Calais describes a “pitched battle” between 60 migrants and French police as they rush to try and get their dinghy in the sea.
He said: “This is ramping up the pressure and confrontation levels between the migrants and the police trying to stop them. As a spotter plane goes above us again.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:28
’10-12 weeks until flights can take off’
The BBC is reporting that Rishi Sunak believes the Government will be able to start deportations to Rwanda by July.
Chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman told BBC Breakfast: “Legal obstacles have stopped him before. The Supreme Court has called the policy unworkable. People are preparing legal challenges to oppose deportations already. How will they progress?
“And does this policy do what it says on the tin? It’s designed to act as a deterrent to stop people making that journey across the Channel.
“If Rishi Sunak does get a flight off in July or a constant rhythm of flight as he puts it the question becomes will it do what he says it will will it stop making people making that journey.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:20
PM ‘nothing will stand in our way’ after Rwanda bill passes
The Prime Minister has said “nothing will stand in our way” of getting flights off the ground after the Government’s Rwanda deportation plan passed through Parliament.
In a statement Rishi Sunak said: “The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration.
“We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them.
“The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay.
“Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:12
Starmer leads Sunak in leadership poll
New polling has found that Sir Keir Starmer beat Rishi Sunak on all 17 aspects of leadership put to respondents, including on building a strong economy and relationships with foreign leaders.
Andy Gregory23 April 2024 07:01
Sunak insists Rwanda flights will be in the air by July, ‘no ifs, no buts’
Rishi Sunak has pledged to get flights to Rwanda in the air by July, despite the threat of legal challenges and delays even if he does manage to force the controversial asylum bill through parliament overnight.
The prime minister insisted asylum seekers will be sent to the east African nation in 10 to 12 weeks “come what may” and that regular trips will take place over the summer.
But he faced an agonising final hurdle of ping-pong between MPs and the House of Lords, and the upper house will spend the evening trying to exact two key amendments.
Holly Bancroft and Archie Mitchell report
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 06:30
Cleverly calls passing of Rwanda bill ‘a landmark moment’
Home secretary James Cleverly called passage of the bill a “landmark moment in our plan to stop the boats”.
“The Act will prevent people abusing the law by using false human rights claims to block removals,” he said in a video posted on X.
Mr Cleverly continued: “It makes it clear that the UK parliament is sovereign, giving the government the power to reject interim blocking measures imposed by European courts.
“I promised to do what was necessary to clear the path for the first flight. That’s what we have done.”
“Now we’re working day in and day out to get flights off the ground.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 06:00
Editorial: This flawed Rwanda plan brings shame and no gain to the government
The new promise of deportation flights starting in July is unlikely to win the prime minister any credit with the public. His unworkable scheme will not ‘stop the boats’ from crossing the Channel, especially in the summer months – and he will only have himself to blame.
The new promise of deportation flights starting in July is unlikely to win the prime minister any credit with the public. His unworkable scheme will not ‘stop the boats’ from crossing the Channel, especially in the summer months – and he will only have himself to blame.
This flawed Rwanda plan brings shame and no gain to the government
Editorial: The new promise of deportation flights starting in July is unlikely to win the prime minister any credit with the public. His unworkable scheme will not ‘stop the boats’ from crossing the Channel, especially in the summer months – and he will only have himself to blame
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 05:30
Watch: Labour MP says Sunak’s government ‘scrambling’ to get Rwanda flights off the ground
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 05:00
Departures can be held up in courts, says expert
British prime minister Rishi Sunak ‘s latest effort to send some migrants to Rwanda finally won approval from Parliament early Tuesday, hours after he pledged deportation flights would begin in July.
Despite parliament’s approval of the legislation, further court challenges may still delay the deportation flights, said Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London.“I don’t think it is necessarily home and dry,” he told Associated Press.
“We will see some attempts to block deportations legally.”The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared to 45,774 in 2022 from just 299 four years earlier as people seeking refuge pay criminal gangs thousands of pounds to ferry them across the channel.
Last year, small boat arrivals dropped to 29,437 as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country.
“I think the most important takeaway is quite how desperate the government clearly is to get this piece of legislation through on the grounds that it will enable it to at least make a down payment on its promise to stop the boats,” Mr Bale said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 04:30
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