Early morning summary
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation bill will become law after opposition and crossbench peers backed down, opening the way for legal battles over the potential removal of dozens of people seeking asylum. After a marathon battle of “ping pong” over the key legislation between the Commons and the Lords, the bill finally passed when opposition and crossbench peers gave way on Monday night. The bill is expected to be granted royal assent on Tuesday. Home Office sources said they have 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 east Africa in July. In a message posted on X shortly after the bill cleared the Lords, James Cleverly, the home secretary, said this was “a landmark moment” in the government’s plan to stop the boats.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill has just passed in Parliament.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) April 22, 2024
This is what it means 👇 pic.twitter.com/Nq3O9qKVus
But charities representing asylum seekers restated their opposition to the plan. The Refugee Council said this was Orwellian legislation that would “simply exacerbate the chaos in the asylum system at huge cost to the taxpayer”.
*NEW*
— Imran (@imran_1) April 22, 2024
“By contradicting the Supreme Court to declare Rwanda safe, this Orwellian Act will simply exacerbate the chaos in the asylum system at huge cost to the taxpayer."@refugeecouncil reaction to Rwanda Bill passing its final parliamentary stages pic.twitter.com/VOMyxh9Dru
And the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said the bill was shameful.
BREAKING: Parliament have just voted to pass the shameful Rwanda legislation which puts performative cruelty above people’s lives.
— JCWI (@JCWI_UK) April 22, 2024
We must oppose the Act and we’ll continue to fight for people seeking sanctuary
Read our statement 👇🏽
Labour describes Rwanda bill as 'eye-wateringly expensive election stunt' after it clears parliament
Labour has issued a statement describing the Rwanda bill as an “eye-wateringly expensive election stunt”. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said:
The new Rwanda law is an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings.
The Rwanda scheme will cost more than half a billion pounds for just 300 people, less than one per cent of asylum seekers here in the UK - and there is no plan for the 99% …
The Conservatives should drop this eye-wateringly expensive election stunt and instead adopt Labour’s practical plan boost our border security with new cross-border police and new counter terror style powers to crack down on the criminal gangs, and a new Returns and Enforcement Unit to remove those who have no right to be here.
