January 23, 2024
2 mins read

Sunak suffers defeat in vote to delay Rwanda asylum treaty

The government passed the Rwanda legislation in the House of Commons last week after days of debate that showed deep divisions in the governing Conservative Party…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suffered a setback to his plans to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda after parliament’s upper house backed a largely symbolic motion to delay ratification of a treaty aimed at overcoming a legal block.

Under the Rwanda plan, which has yet to be carried out, asylum seekers who arrive on England’s southern coast in small, inflatable boats would be sent to Rwanda.

In an effort to overcome resistance from the courts who have ruled the plan is unlawful, Britain signed a treaty last year with Rwanda, in which it agreed to address safety concerns, and the government is trying to pass legislation through parliament that would block legal challenges to deportations.

Although ministers could take steps to ignore the motion, lawmakers in the House of Lords backed it 214 votes to 171, providing the first public indication of the scale of opposition to the government’s new legislation in the upper chamber.

Peter Goldsmith, an attorney general under former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who laid the motion, said before the vote it was the first time that lawmakers in the Lords had used parliamentary powers to vote to halt the ratification of a treaty.

Sunak has said he wants the first deportation flights to leave in the next few months — ahead of a general election expected in the second half of this year — so he can meet one of his five pledges to “stop the boats.”

The government passed the Rwanda legislation in the House of Commons last week after days of debate that showed deep divisions in the governing Conservative Party.

The level of opposition in the House of Lords is expected to debate the bill for the first time at the end of January with crunch votes likely to come in March.

The Lords are likely to add make amendments to the legislation and could in extreme circumstances delay the bill for a year, which would mean it could not be passed until after the next election.

The prime minister says the law is essential to deter migrants from considering traveling to the UK via unauthorized routes.

Around 30,000 asylum seekers crossed the English Channel on rudimentary vessels last year. Five died trying to make the journey this past weekend.

Sunak has yet to announce the date of the UK’s general election but has said it will be held this year.

Some opinion polls put Labour more than 20 points ahead of the Tories, suggesting the ruling party is heading for a landslide defeat.

ALSO READ-UK Lawmakers Pass Rwanda Bill as Part of Immigration Plan

Previous Story

Storm Isha pummels UK

Next Story

India-Egypt Military Drill to Include Hostage Rescue Ops

Latest from -Top News

Canadians Vote Amid Trump’s Shadow

The ruling Liberal Party, which unseated former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has surged after Trump’s threats and now leads the Conservatives by nearly 3% in poll averages….reports Asian Lite News Canadians began

Lavrov and Rubio discuss Ukraine peace talks

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that President Putin was ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions….reports Asian Lite News Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary

No Deal: EU Holds Line on China Sanctions

EU stated the sanctions were a response to involvement in “serious human rights violations in China…reports Asian Lite News The European Union has decided not to lift sanctions imposed on Chinese officials

India Slams BBC Over Pahalgam Coverage

Several social media users pointed out that the BBC’s headline appeared misleading, giving the impression as if “India killed the tourists.”…reports Asian Lite News India has written to a leading British public
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Sunak bookmakers’ favourite to be PM

Liz Truss is the second favourite at 22/5. The others

Sunak’s curbs on foreign students could meet resistance

Braverman is in fact opposed to freer movement of people