Minister’s fury at Lords bid to dilute Rwanda Bill
A MIGRATION minister last night slammed the House of Lords’ attempts to water down Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan and render it “totally pointless”.
The Government is pushing through a law after the policy was grounded by the Supreme Court.
But Illegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson accused peers of trying to wreck the Bill.
He said: “We simply cannot accept amendments that allow for loopholes which would perpetuate the current cycle of delays and late legal challenges to removal.
“We have a moral duty to stop the boats.We must bring to an end the dangerous, unnecessary and illegal methods being deployed.
“We must protect our borders and most importantly, save lives at sea. Our partnership with Rwanda is a key part of that.”
Unelected lords voted before Easter to weaken the Safety of Rwanda Bill. One of their amendments would have allowed courts to ground flights.
It was overturned by MPs last night – setting up a new showdown with the lords.
Peers are expected to send the Bill back to the Commons with amendments later in the week – prolonging the process known as parliamentary ping-pong where legislation is batted between the two Houses. Once passed, it is set to take at least six weeks for the first migrants to be readied for deportation, as there are other snags. The Home Office says 534 migrants crossed the Channel in 10 boats on Sunday, the highest in a day this year so far.
It means 6,265 have crossed this year so far, 28% higher than the same time last year and 7% higher than at this point in 2022.
More than 75,000 arrivals have been recorded two years on from the signing of the Rwanda deal. MPs heard that the Government wants to replicate the Rwanda scheme with Armenia, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica and Botswana.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, senior Tory Sir John Hayes said: “It’s right that there is a balance between Commons and Lords but when a Government wants to implement a policy which is clear in its objectives, the Lords shouldn’t stand in its way.
“I think in the end the Lords will give way on this because they recognise that balance.” The PM’s spokesman said: “We cannot continue with the status quo...Now is the time to unite behind the Bill.”
AS the weather continues to improve, small boats crossing the Channel have started up once again. Sunday was particularly busy with more than 500 migrants arriving to our shores – 6,000 have come here already this year.
Across the political spectrum is a consensus that this criminal traffic should be stopped. So why is the House of Lords stalling the Government’s Rwanda deportation scheme, rendering its key role as a deterrent redundant?
Of course, new laws need due diligence before being enacted. But this is ridiculous. In this election year, it’s high time we got flights off the ground as soon as possible.
No more excuses or parliamentary ping-pong. Spring is when the first flights were promised – let’s insist they happen.