Parliamentary Standoff Ends as Rwanda Bill Moves Toward Becoming Law
The prime minister and the home secretary praised the ‘landmark’ legislation and expressed confidence that flights would commence by July.
The government’s Rwanda bill is on track to become law following the resolution of a lengthy parliamentary deadlock on Monday night as peers conceded defeat, ending the bill back and forth between the Commons and Lords five times with no proposed changes accepted each time.
Home Secretary James Cleverly hailed the bill’s passage as a significant moment in the government’s efforts to prevent migrant-smuggling boats, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared unwavering determination to launch deportation flights to Rwanda.
The government assured the public of ‘robust operational plans’ to ensure the inaugural flight will depart by July.
During Monday’s parliamentary proceedings, the House of Lords supported by a 240-211 vote a condition stating that Rwanda could not be recognized as a safe country until the secretary of state, in consultation with an independent monitoring body, issued a statement to Parliament affirming its safety.
This condition, as the last remaining amendment out of ten proposed by peers at the start of the ‘ping-pong’ process five weeks prior, was ultimately rejected by the government, which holds the majority in the Commons. Minister Michael Tomlinson made it clear that the Rwanda treaty would not be ratified until all necessary implementation measures are in place, subject to review by an independent monitoring committee.
Recognizing the lack of sufficient political support for their stance, crossbench peer Lord Anderson of Ipswich abandoned the insistence on his amendment, reflecting on the futility of prolonging the debate.
Minister Cleverly, in a video shared on social media platform X, marked the passage of the bill as a pivotal moment in the government’s effort to curb illegal boat crossings.
He emphasized that the law will prevent the abuse of human rights claims to hinder deportations and reaffirmed the UK Parliament’s sovereignty, granting the government the authority to reject interim measures imposed by European courts.
In a statement, Prime Minister Sunak portrayed the bill’s passing as a transformational development in addressing global migration challenges.
Although initial plans aimed for flight operations to commence in the spring, the government assured that comprehensive operational arrangements are now in place to ensure the first flight to Rwanda within 10-12 weeks, followed by subsequent flights.
Preparations for deportations to Rwanda include active standby airfields, charter planes secured for specific schedules, detention spaces for 2,200 individuals, trained caseworkers, makeshift courtrooms, and personnel designated to escort illegal migrants to Rwanda.
Under the government’s plan, individuals who arrived illegally from a safe third country on or after March 7, 2023, would have their asylum claims dismissed, with exceptions to be considered.
Reportedly, most illegal immigrants traveled in fragile boats from France across the English Channel, with over 120,000 successful crossings recorded since 2018, and several tragic losses of life reported.
Following the passing of the Rwanda bill, a heartbreaking incident saw the loss of five lives, including a child, during an attempted Channel crossing. Efforts are ongoing to locate survivors.
In response to the tragedies, Minister Cleverly called for an end to such incidents, indicating the resolve to combat such perilous journeys.
The government anticipates that the deportation plan will deter further Channel crossings. However, the Labour Party has vehemently opposed the strategy, arguing against its efficacy and high costs.
Meanwhile, Minister Cleverly is set to travel to Italy for discussions on joint efforts to curb illegal migration, becoming the first UK government official to visit Lampedusa island, where approximately 110,000 migrants landed last year.
Italy and the UK aim to collaborate on tackling root causes of illegal migration, with a particular focus on enhancing tracking of migrant boats and saving lives at sea.
Minister Cleverly stressed the importance of global collaboration in addressing migration challenges, highlighting the partnership with Italy as crucial in confronting this shared issue and combatting human-trafficking networks.
PA Media and Reuters contributed to this report.
