British MPs Reject Lords Amendment on Controversial Rwanda Immigration Bill

British MPs have rejected a House of Lords amendment to the controversial Rwanda immigration bill, vote, with 305 voting to scrap the amendments and 234 voting to keep them. The bill, which would deport asylum seekers who arrive in the UK by irregular means to Rwanda, is now expected to become law, passed, months and receive royal assent, likely on Tuesday.

The main issue dividing the two houses was whether Rwanda should be considered safe until the government declares it so based on advice from an independent monitoring committee. The government has won the bill, live on this, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying that the first flight carrying asylum seekers will leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, despite concerns raised by refugee charities and human rights groups about the safety of Rwanda. "The government maintains that it is a 'progressive country' and that people can be safely sent there," Sunak stated.

The Home Office has already identified a group of asylum seekers with weak legal claims to remain in the UK who will be part of the first tranche to be sent to Rwanda in July. Lawyers are preparing legal challenges on behalf of individual asylum seekers, who can challenge their removal on a case-by-case basis.

Why this matters: The passage of this controversial bill reflects the divided state of British politics, with the Conservative Party seeking to exploit public anxiety about immigration to gain an advantage over the opposition Labour Party. The plan has been criticized as inhumane, unworkable, and damaging to the UK's reputation by human rights campaigners and legal experts.

The government has said it will not send those eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy to Rwanda, and a leading lawyer has questioned the benefits and costs of the scheme in terms of principles, international commitments, and judicial scrutiny. The deal will cost £1.8m for each of the first 300 deportees, but the government has not provided evidence that it will have a deterrent effect. Despite the legal challenges, the government insists that the deportation flights to Rwanda will go ahead as planned in the coming weeks.

Key Takeaways

• UK MPs reject House of Lords amendment to controversial Rwanda immigration bill.
• Bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda expected to become law after months of debate.
• Government maintains Rwanda is safe, despite concerns raised by refugee charities.
• First deportation flight to Rwanda planned within 10-12 weeks, despite legal challenges.
• Bill reflects divided UK politics, with Conservatives seeking to gain advantage on immigration.