The government’s Rwanda bill will finally become law after the Lords decided they would no longer oppose it following hours of wrangling.
For weeks, peers have been pushing back on the scheme – which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to the African nation – and trying to get ministers to make changes to the controversial legislation.
But after further rounds of so-called “ping pong” saw the bill flit between both Houses throughout Monday evening, both MPs and peers have now agreed to the plan, and it will soon become law – with Rishi Sunak pledging the first flights will take off “in 10 to 12 weeks”.
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Latest reaction after government’s Rwanda bill passes Lords
How many asylum seekers does the UK remove and how much of an impact will the policy have?
Home Secretary James Cleverly has said the bill will become law “within days”, adding that its passage through the Lords was a “landmark moment in our plan to stop the boats”.
The Rwanda scheme was first proposed by Boris Johnson two years ago as a way to deter people from making dangerous journeys across the Channel.
But it has faced a raft of criticism from opposition parties, charities and even some of the government’s own backbenchers, and no flights have taken off – despite the prime minister’s earlier pledge to see them leave “in the spring”.
The UK’s Supreme Court also ruled the plan unlawful last November.
After the bill was accepted by the Lords, Freedom From Torture, Amnesty International and Liberty said the UK was increasingly gaining a reputation for “playing fast and loose with its international obligations”.
A spokesperson for the organisations said: “We all deserve the chance to live a safe life, and to seek protection when we need it most. This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda.
“No matter how many times…
