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In a significant blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s agenda of stopping irregular migration, the House of Lords has dealt a major setback to the controversial bill seeking to label Rwanda as a safe country for deportees.
The bill aimed to label Rwanda a safe country for deportees to sidestep a Supreme Court ruling which declared the east African country unsuitable.
The House of Lords, on Monday, passed five amendments to the draft text, introducing measures that would make it more challenging for the House of Commons to declare Rwanda as a “safe” haven. If ratified, these amendments would also require the government to adhere to both domestic and international law when making such determinations.
With 277 votes in favor of establishing a mechanism to monitor Rwanda’s safety status, opposed by 167 votes, the amendments signal a significant divide on the issue within the UK Parliament.
In early January, most British lawmakers approved the controversial bill before their colleagues in the upper chamber voted to delay it.
The bill compels judges to regard Rwanda as a safe country and gives ministers the power to disregard parts of the Human Rights Act.
For accepting to receive deportees, Kigali has so far pocketed $300 million from London.
After numerous court cases and international outcry, no deportation flights have taken off under the deal struck in April 2022.
Prime Minister Sunak has vowed to press ahead with the plan.
Chioma Kalu
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