THE HOUSE OF Lords has inflicted its first defeat against British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan, voting to delay the treaty.
Inflicting a defeat against the UK government, the House of Lords backed by 214 votes to 171, majority 43, an unprecedented move seeking to delay a treaty with the east African nation that paves the way for the divisive asylum scheme.
This blow comes after Sunak won the backing of the House of Commons for his bill last week.
The bill has been a topic of much political contentiousness in the United Kingdom since the idea was first introduced in 2022.
Prior to this evening’s vote, many peers have already expressed deep unease about the stalled scheme to put some asylum seekers on a one-way flight the east African nation.
The unelected chamber this evening supported a call by the Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC) that Parliament should not ratify the pact until ministers can show Rwanda is safe.
The UK government agreed the legally-binding treaty with Kigali in December, saying it addressed concerns raised by the Supreme Court about the possibility of asylum seekers deported to Rwanda then being transferred to a country where they could be at risk.
However, a number of conclusions published by the committee last week showed that there are still some tasks yet to be completed.
These tasks included the training of Rwandan officials and judges in the country’s non-existent asylum policies.
The committee said established assurances the practice of refoulement – where the person is deported to their country of origin – would not take place are still required.
Appointments of international judges to carry out the deportations would need to be conducted and those judges will also need to be trained.
An appeals body, monitoring committees and other support teams are also yet to be established by the British government ahead of this plan – which the committee highlighted in its report.
Unlike the Commons which has the power to delay ratification of a treaty, the Lords can only advise.
However, ignoring the demand by peers could later be used in a legal challenge against the Government.
The treaty underpins the UK government’s Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill which compels judges to regard the country as a secure haven.
The initial blow delivered by peers now signals a rough ride for the legislation, despite Sunak urging the Upper House not to block the “will of the people”.
Sunak was yesterday warned by a former Tory Cabinet minister to tone down threats to peers.
Nicky Morgan, now a Conservative peer, on Sunday told the BBC: “The last prime minister who used the ‘will of the people’ language, it wasn’t a happy precedent.”
The second reading debate on the Rwanda Bill is due to be held in the Lords on 29 January.
Includes reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill and Press Association
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