NewsUKUK PoliticsLords cave to pressure and withdraw final amendment to the Rwanda bill
Peers face call to ‘calm down’ and allow Rwanda bill to clear parliament
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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.
1713855704Migrants say ‘getting to UK is worth risk of being sent to Rwanda’Migrants seem undeterred about the risk of being sent to Rwanda, according to the BBC.
Migrants told BBC Breakfast “If there is a risk of going to Africa, that doesn’t matter to me. First I want to go to the UK it is worth the risk.”
A small percentage of those crossing will go to Rwanda at the start Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson admits.
But he said there will be a “regular rhythm of flights” as the Rwanda bill starts to work.
He said: “They are trying to come to the UK. But when they see they won’t get there.
“If you come to the UK illegally you will be detained and removed to Rwanda that is when you will see the deterrent effect kick in.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 08:01
1713855632When will deportation flights take off?Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill is finally set to become law after weeks of parliamentary deadlock, paving the way for deportation flights to get off the ground.
The legislation is the latest attempt by the government to revive its plan to hand asylum seekers who come to the UK by crossing the Channel a one-way ticket to Kigali. The deal has been plagued by setbacks since it was signed two years ago.
When will Rwanda flights take off?
The first plane carrying asylum seekers could depart in July, after Mr Sunak acknowledged it could still take 10 to 12 weeks to get flights off the ground.
This would be more than two years since the first flight ever attempted under the deal was grounded amid last-minute legal challenges.
More here.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 April 2024 08:00
1713855176Care4Calais say asylum seekers will ‘suffer irreversible harm’Chief executive of the refugee charity Care4Calais, Steve Smith, has said asylum seekers will “suffer irreversible harm” if the Rwanda Bill goes ahead.
Mr Smith told Times Radio: “So for example, the Wethersfield camp, where the home office is supposed to apply criteria that determine who is sent to the camp. We often find people with mental illness, physical disabilities, victims of torture, modern-day slavery… these are the same sorts of reasons that people end up as asylum seekers.
“Where those criteria are present. We will support individuals in launching challenges.”
He described the idea of Rwanda being designated as a safe country for refugees by the Government as “fictional”.
“I mean, how do you just determine that the Supreme Court rules, (which) rule that it’s not a safe country for refugees? The United Nations High Commission for Refugees says that this is not a safe country, for refugees,” he said.
“Who in the Government has actually been to Africa other than a handful right up the top… it’s just nonsense.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:52
1713855078Overloaded dinghy seen heading towards UK hours after Rwanda billMigrants in a dinghy were turned back by French police before returning to Calais shore, taking on more migrants and making another attempt to cross the Channel.
Migrants from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Sudan were not deterred by the Rwanda bill and continued their journey to the UK.
Told migrants were prepared to make the crossing despite Rwanda deterrent Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said: The act is not yet in force. “We need to get the flights off the ground then we will see the deterrent effect kick in.”
He pointed towards an Albania treaty which saw 90 per cent drop of Albanians coming across the Channel. He admits has been a spike in numbers from all nations crossing the Channel but says it is a “moral mission” to stop migrant deaths in the Channel.
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:51
1713854479‘Rwanda a progressive country’ Tory minister insistsIllegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said the Government was prepared for “inevitable” legal challenges to the Rwanda scheme.
He refused to divulge which airport flights would take off from fearing it would help opponents of the bill.
He told Times Radio: “Actually, Rwanda is a very progressive country. Frankly, some of the debate that we’ve heard in the House of Commons and the House of Lords – not recently, but in the early days – was very patronising and almost supercilious in looking down at Rwanda.
“Rwanda is a very progressive country. And we’ve seen that in all sorts of international measures as well.
“So yes, people can be safely sent to Rwanda and it is not unlawful to be gay in Rwanda and discrimination on any grounds is unlawful in Rwanda.”
Last year Human Rights Watch monitoring the human rights conditions in Rwanda since before the 1994 genocide, reported to the Commons: “Serious human rights abuses continue to occur in Rwanda, including repression of free speech, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and torture by Rwandan authorities. Political space in Rwanda remains tightly closed and the opposition face routine threats and harassment.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:41
1713854152‘Labour determined to stop the flights. We want to stop the boats’ Illegal miration ministerIllegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson MP told Sky News that the Government expects the flights to depart in 10-12 weeks after the Rwanda bill was passed in the Commons last night.
He said: “We need to make sure the treaty is ratified, the bill receives royal assent and becomes an act of Parliament.
“It is inevitable I’m afraid there are going to be challenges.
“It is inevitable that people are going to throw everything at this to try and stop this plan from working.
“We saw last night from the Labour Party and the Labour lords more determined to stop the flights. We are determined to stop the boats.”
Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:35
1713853839Rights groups condemn Sunak’s Rwanda planHuman 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
1713853718Migrants not dissuaded by Rwanda BillA 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
1713853251’10-12 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
1713852741PM ‘nothing will stand in our way’ after Rwanda bill passesThe 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.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The controversial Rwanda Bill poised to become law after peers end stand-off (Toby Melville/PA) (PA Wire)Barney Davis23 April 2024 07:12
