Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been given the green light after peers caved to pressure and passed the government’s flagship immigration bill.
Just one amendment was left standing as parliamentarians sat through a long night of votes on the asylum legislation. However Lords withdrew the amendment on the second round of voting, conceeding that they must now “acknowledge the primacy of the elected house”.
The amendment would have made sure that an independent monitoring committee declared Rwanda a safe country before asylum seekers could be sent there.
A second amendment, which called for Afghans who served with British forces to be exempt from deportations, was also dropped on Monday night by peers who claimed they had won a concession from the government on the matter.
Earlier, prime minister Rishi Sunak said flights to Rwanda have been booked and will take off by July, “no ifs, no buts”.
Mr Sunak told a surprise Downing Street press conference that the first flight carrying asylum seekers would leave for Rwanda in 10-12 weeks, despite the problems he has faced passing it into law.
Sunak pledges support to Mark Rowley after ‘openly Jewish’ Met Police comment
Rishi Sunak said he had confidence in Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley after a London officer described an antisemitism campaigner as “openly Jewish”, reports my colleague Holly Patrick.
Gideon Falter was threatened with arrest and told his presence was “antagonising” protesters yards away from him.
In a press conference on Monday, the prime minister pledged support for the commissioner but said he needed to rebuild “confidence and trust” with the Jewish community.
The force initially apologised for the incident, but then apologised for its apology after suggesting opponents of pro-Palestine marches “must know that their presence is provocative”. Suella Braverman has called for Sir Mark to resign.
Rwanda Bill: How did my MP vote on Sunak’s asylum legislation?
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill will become law after a night of parliamentary ping-pong between the Commons and Lords.
You can use the tool below to find out how your MP voted on the legislation:
If your MP is listed as voting ‘aye’ they have voted for the Rwanda bill, and if they are listed as ‘no’ they will have voted against it.
Lords give up fight against Rwanda bill
“The time has now come to acknowledge the primacy of the elected house,” Lord Anderson of Ipswich has said as he withdrew the final amendment to the Rwanda bill.
“We tried our hardest to achieve something a little more sensible,” he told fellow peers.
Rwanda flights to go ahead as asylum policy finally passes into law in boost for Rishi Sunak
His plan was finally given the green light on Monday evening after peers in the House of Lords gave up their fight with MPs over amending the legislation.
Full report: Sunak insists Rwanda flights will be in the air by July, ‘no ifs, no buts’
Rishi Sunak has pledged to get flights to Rwanda in the air by July, despite the threat of legal challenges and delays even if he does manage to force the controversial asylum bill through parliament overnight.
The prime minister insisted asylum seekers will be sent to the east African nation in 10 to 12 weeks “come what may” and that regular trips will take place over the summer.
But he faced an agonising final hurdle of ping-pong between MPs and the House of Lords, with the two houses of parliament potentially battling over a final amendment through the night.
You can read more in this report, written prior to peers’ decision to drop an amendment relating to Afghan veterans and MPs decision to reject the last remaining amendment, putting the ball back in peers’ court:
Commons sitting paused until message received from Lords
Tonight’s Commons sitting has been suspended pending any message from the Lords, who will now debate the final remaining amendment once again, which was just rejected by MPs.
Tory ex-minister appears to back amendment – but questions if peers should keep pressing
During the debate on the final amendment, which has now been sent back to the Lords, Conservative former minister Sir Robert Buckland has expressed reservations about the government’s approach on how it would designate Rwanda to be a safe country.
The Tory MP added: “It does seem to me that in the absence of this amendment there would be the need for further primary legislation in future, which I don’t think is a great place for the government to end up.”
But he acknowledged there is a time when the Lords has to “cede to the authority of the elected House”, adding: “I think we are now approaching that moment.”
Labour criticised after peers drop Afghan amendment
For the SNP, Alison Thewliss criticised Labour for not continuing to push a Lords amendment to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops after critics claimed to have won a concession from the government.
Ms Thewliss said: “If they think this is some kind of concession I’ve got some magic beans to sell them.”
MPs vote to reject final House of Lords amendment
MPs have backed the government by 312 to 237 votes in choosing to reject the House of Lords amendments to Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda policy.
The amendment sought to ensure an independent committee could judge whether Rwanda was indeed a safe country before flights could take off, but it will now be returned for peers to debate once again.
MPs vote on Lords amendment
MPs are now voting on whether to reject the Lords amendment, as the government motion proposes.
Source: independent.co.uk
