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Prime minister Rishi Sunak said flights to Rwanda have been booked and will take off by July, “no ifs, no buts” at a Downing Street news conference ahead of the Rwanda bill returning to parliament later today.
Mr Sunak told the surprise conference the first flight carrying asylum seekers would leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, despite the problems he has faced passing it into law.
Peers have repeatedly blocked the legislation with a series of amendments, stretching debate on the “emergency legislation” over more than four months and delaying flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The bill is intended to overcome the objections of the Supreme Court by forcing judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country for asylum seekers and allowing ministers to ignore emergency injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights.
MPs are expected to vote to overturn those changes before sending the bill back to the House of Lords, where some peers may attempt to insist on their amendments again.
Key points
- Rwanda planes will take off ‘no ifs, no buts’, Sunak says
- PM: Flights are booked and will start by July
- Bill back in Commons today after Lords demand changes
- Labour: We’ll keep voting until Afghan heroes are protected
- But No 10 warns there will be no concessions on legislation
- Small boats crossings up 24%
- What is the Rwanda Bill?
MPs reject Afghan heroes amendment
MPs have, as expected, also voted against the Lords demand to exempt Afghan heroes from being deported to Rwanda.
The Commons voted 305 to 234, a majority of 71, to reject it the change, which Labour peers have vowed not to back down on.
Downing Street has said the government will not be making any concessions.
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 17:51 1713804350MPs reject Lords demand on monitoring committee
MPs have voted against a Lords amendment demanding that an independent monitoring committee must declare Rwanda a safe country before asylum seekers can be sent to the African country.
The amendment, one of two key demands made by the upper chamber, cleared the Commons by 306 votes to 229.
The second demand, that Afghan heroes are exempt from being deported to Rwanda, will be voted on after 6pm.
Those eligible under the Afghan relocations scheme will not be deported - minister
A Home Office minister said the government will not send those who are eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to Rwanda.
Michael Tomlinson told the Commons: “Once this review of ARAP decisions for those with credible links to Afghan specialist units has concluded, the government will not remove to Rwanda those who received a positive eligibility decision as a result of this review where they are already in the United Kingdom.”
Intervening, Labour MP Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) said a constituent of hers is not eligible for ARAP because he is a British citizen and his family are unable to join him in the UK.
She said: “If (Mr Tomlinson) takes five minutes just to read the story of my constituent who gave so much of his life to support our forces in Afghanistan, he will understand why when he stands at that despatch box and says that there are legal safe routes for those who are eminently eligible, it is simply not sustainable as an argument to make.”
Mr Tomlinson said the amendment is “unnecessary” adding: “There is already existing legislation, including but not limited to the Illegal Migration Act.”
He added: “The government will not remove to Rwanda those who receive a positive eligibility decision as a result of this review.
“This government recognises the commitment and response of an issue that comes with combat veterans, whether our own or those who have shown courage and served alongside us, we will not let them down.”
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 17:18 1713799801
MPs debate Rwanda bill ahead of crunch votes
MPs are now debating the Rwanda bill ahead of votes in the Commons and Lords later this evening.
Rishi Sunak earlier said he would make both houses sit through the night until the legislation was passed.
You can watch the exchanges live on our YouTube channel by following the link below:
Watch live: Rwanda bill faces final parliamentary showdown in Commons
Watch live as Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda bill faces a final parliamentary showdown on Monday, 22 April.
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 16:30 1713798952Lords makes provision for late night refreshments
Catering staff in the Lords have made provision to offer refreshments into the night in the face of a late sitting over the Rwanda bill.
It comes after the prime minister said “enough is enough” and that MPs and peers would sit until the legislation, currently at the centre of a stand-off between the two houses, was passed.
Speaking in the Lords, government chief whip Baroness Williams of Trafford acknowledged the “frustration” felt by peers at the timetabling of the controversial legislation given the “less than adequate notice” and coming on the first day of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
She said: “May I thank all members in advance for their patience.”
Lady Williams also thanked catering staff “who have already made swift provision for services beyond 10pm should peers and staff need them”.
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 16:15 1713798052ICYMI: Sadiq Khan pledges to make River Thames ‘swimmable’ within decade
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to make the River Thames “swimmable” within a decade as he plans to transform the capital’s waterways.
The former Labour cabinet minister branded the river a “national embarrassment” as his own analysis published this year revealed a nearly five-fold rise in the duration of sewage spills in London in 2023.
Full report:
Sadiq Khan pledges to make River Thames ‘swimmable’ within decade
Brands river ‘national embarrassment’ as analysis reveals five-fold rise in duration of sewage spills in London last year
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 16:00 1713797272Tory MP Sir Robert Buckland, a former government minister, explained why he was backing the Afghan amendment to the Rwanda bill, Holly Bancroft reports.
Referring to members of the Afghan special forces, who fought alongside UK soldiers and who are currently having their UK relocation applications reviewed, he said: “We don’t want to end up with people, who are having their applications reviewed by the MoD, who are stuck in Pakistan, we don’t want them to end up in a position where they’re being carted off in this scheme,” he said.
“It wasn’t designed for this sort of category [of people]. Despite all the progress we’ve made on bringing Afghans to safety in the UK, we don’t want to end up with unintended consequences where people who’ve risked their lives for our safety are then put into this scheme.”
Sir Robert is also backing the other Lords’ amendment, which would make sure the monitoring committee verifies Rwanda as safe before asylum seekers are sent there. It was also make sure that the committee can tell MPs when Rwanda is no longer a safe country.
Sir Robert said neither were “wrecking amendments” but were rather about getting the detail of the bill right.
Once the Rwanda bill is passed, Sir Robert told The Independent that there will “inevitably be individual legal challenges”. However he felt that the likelihood of an intervention from the ECHR “has probably receded” due to new guidelines issued to the Strasbourg judges, which have raised the threshold for issuing injunctions.
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 15:47 1713796639
Emily Maitlis to lead Channel 4’s general election coverage
Emily Maitlis will lead Channel 4’s coverage of the general election, the broadcaster has announced.
The News Agents journalist, formerly of the BBC, said she was “delighted” to “work with such an incredible cast of people. I cannot wait.”
She will present the election special alongside Channel 4 News presenters Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Cathy Newman and others.
Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, who present the Rest Is Politics podcast, will also appear throughout the night.
UN experts warn airlines over Sunak’s Rwanda scheme
United Nations experts have warned airlines involved in Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda asylum scheme they could be held responsible for any violations of international human rights rules.
Siobhan Mullally, Gehad Madi and Alice Jill Edwards, the special rapporteurs on human trafficking, migrants’ human rights and torture, warned airlines and regulators could be “complicit” in breaching the rules by facilitating removals to Rwanda.
The prime minister used a Downing Street press conference earlier to say that the government had booked commercial charter plans and had an airfield on standby for the first Rwanda flight, which would take place in 10-12 weeks.
But the UN experts said: “Even if the UK-Rwanda agreement and the Safety of Rwanda Bill are approved, airlines and aviation regulators could be complicit in violating internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating removals to Rwanda.”
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 15:15 1713794443
Parliamentary researcher among two men charged with spying for China under Official Secrets act
A parliamentary researcher is among two British men who have been charged with spying for China after an investigation by counter-terrorism police.
Christopher Cash, 29, from Whitechapel in east London, a former researcher for Conservative Alicia Kearns, has been accused of an offence under the Official Secrets Act, the Metropolitan Police said.
Full report:
Parliamentary researcher among two UK men charged with spying for China
The two men have been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later this month
Matt Mathers22 April 2024 15:00 Newer1 / 5OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
