Rishi Sunak’s troubled plan to expel Rwanda has been condemned by Tory MPs, historians and bishops, with the House of Lords potentially requesting changes that could delay its implementation. ing.
Ken Clarke, the Conservative Party’s former Lord Chancellor, joined the Archbishop of Canterbury and historian Peter Hennessy on Monday night to overturn the UK Supreme Court’s decision to send asylum seekers to the Central African country. opposed the government’s plans.
They were among more than 60 Lords members listed to speak at the second reading debate of the government’s Rwanda Security (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
The bill seeks to block the Supreme Court’s finding that Rwanda is not a safe destination for asylum seekers who are at risk of refoulement.
A key vote on amendments to the bill is not expected until next month, and any amendments are likely to be overturned by the House of Commons. However, the feudal lords could thwart the government’s hopes of opening flights to Kigali by spring.
Lord Clarke, who has supported previous Rwanda legislation, said the Sunak bill was “overreach”, adding: We urge the House of Representatives to amend this. ”
He said he agreed in principle with the idea of deporting migrants to safe third countries, but that Congress had overruled the Rwandan security court and created “very dangerous constitutional provisions.”
“I hope it will be properly challenged in court, because we have an unwritten constitution that says the powers of this country are governed by certain constitutional limits and subject to the rule of law. Because it’s becoming increasingly important to make sure,”’ Clark said.
Conservative MP Viscount Hailsham, who served as Douglas Hogg in the House of Commons, warned of the slippery slope of the Rwanda Bill, claiming it “could end up in a place of great ambiguity”. “I don’t think this bill, if passed, will be an effective deterrent,” he said.
Conservative peer David Frost said he supported the bill but had doubts whether it was “robust enough” in its current form.
Constitutional law expert Lord Hennessy of the crossbench said in a highly acclaimed speech that the bill would reduce Britain’s standing in the world. “By rushing this emergency legislation through Parliament, with the aim of starting deportation flights to Kigali by the end of spring, the government has already secured a special place in British political history. ” he said.
“It may not be long before the Rwanda Bill passes all stages of Parliament and is sent by the Cabinet Office to Buckingham Palace for Royal Assent.
“In the few minutes it takes to walk through the Mall, across the tip of St James’s Park and back into Whitehall, our country will change as the Government removes us from the list of countries ruled by law. ”
The Archbishop of Canterbury warned that a “pick and choose approach to international law” would undermine Britain’s international standing, and suggested he might try to block the policy at a later date.
Speaking during the debate, the Most Reverend Justin Welby said: With this bill, the government continues to pursue a good purpose in the wrong way, leading the nation down a harmful path.
“We need a broader refugee policy strategy, involving international cooperation, that will support the migration of far more migrants, which will likely increase tenfold in coming decades as a result of conflict, climate change and poverty. Instead, this bill provides only an ad hoc, one-time approach.
Mr Sunak’s bill survived a third reading in the House of Commons after the prime minister saw off a rebellion from the Conservative right-wing that called for it to be strengthened.
In the end, only 11 Conservative MPs voted against the bill, but the Lords party faces an even bigger challenge, with many MPs expressing unease with the plan.
Mr Sunak called on his colleagues not to thwart the “will of the people” by opposing the bill, in an election year where “stopping the ships” has been a key promise for leaders.
Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that the bill risks putting the UK in breach of its international law obligations. The bill “undermines the universality of human rights” and, in doing so, “puts people at risk of violating the right to life, the right to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, and the effective right.” There is a possibility of exposure.” Therapy”.
The number of migrants crossing the Channel without permission in 2024 has surpassed 1,000, after more than 300 crossed over the weekend.
