The Safety of Rwanda Bill, a law that would allow Britain to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda, faced setbacks in Parliament’s upper chamber as members of the House of Lords attempted to amend the legislation. The bill is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to deter unauthorized migrants from coming to the U.K. across the English Channel. The bill was met with strong opposition in the House of Lords, where the governing Conservative Party does not have a majority. While the bill is still likely to become law, the latest move by the Lords has delayed its passage until next week.
The government argues that the legislation is necessary to prevent people smugglers from controlling who enters the country and to stop more lives from being lost at sea. The plan to send migrants to Rwanda has been in the works for two years, but has faced legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups and other critics who say it is unethical and unworkable. Despite the opposition, Sunak’s government is committed to implementing the plan in order to break the business model of people-smuggling gangs and deter dangerous journeys across the English Channel.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill is designed to overcome a ban on sending migrants to Rwanda imposed by the U.K. Supreme Court, which deemed Rwanda an unsafe destination for asylum-seekers. In response, Britain and Rwanda signed a treaty pledging to strengthen protections for migrants, which the U.K. government argues allows them to pass the new law pronouncing the country safe. However, human rights groups, refugee charities, senior Church of England clerics, and legal experts have criticized the legislation as fundamentally incompatible with the U.K.’s human rights obligations.
The bill was approved by the House of Commons in January, where Sunak’s Conservatives have a majority, but faced opposition in the House of Lords. Members of the Lords repeatedly inserted amendments to water down the legislation, including exempting Afghans who worked with British forces from deportation. The government has refused to accept any amendments and has stated that they are not considering concessions. The main opposition parties in Britain, including the Labour Party, oppose the legislation and have pledged to repeal the law if they win an election later this year.
The Rwanda plan, which would see asylum-seekers sent to Rwanda to remain permanently, has yet to be implemented despite the signing of a deal between Britain and Rwanda two years ago. The plan has cost the U.K. at least 370 million pounds ($470 million) and has faced legal challenges that have prevented any migrants from being sent to Rwanda. While the bill is likely to become law, the delays caused by opposition in the House of Lords have pushed back the implementation of the plan, with new legal challenges expected that could further delay deportation flights.
