Now Lords will try to delay Rwanda f lights for months

PEERS will launch a fresh bid to delay Rwanda removals today as Rishi Sunak’s crucial new legislation reaches the House of Lords.

Dozens of amendments are expected to be tabled by the unelected Upper House, including attempts to put off migrant deportations by months.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill’s second reading in the Lords this afternoon will be the first time peers have had the opportunity to debate the measures.

The Bill aims to declare Rwanda a safe country and overcome objections raised by the Supreme Court, which declared the scheme unlawful in November.

Earlier this month the Prime Minister warned peers not to ‘frustrate the will of the people’, urging them to ‘do the right thing’ and pass the Bill ‘ as quickly as possible’. But last week Lords defeated the Government in a separate vote on a treaty signed with Rwanda which will introduce a number of safeguards for asylum seekers sent to the east African nation.

They backed a 10-point plan which would mean removals could not take place until all the safeguards have been fully introduced and ‘bedded in’. Ministers are not bound by last week’s vote, but the next stage in the Lords can attempt to water down the legislation.

One leading peer last night said that he expected a number of amendments which would attempt to make fundamental changes to the Bill. Top barrister and crossbench peer Lord Carlile KC said: ‘I think there will be a head of steam in the House of Lords to ensure that the 10-point plan – in a legislative framework – is satisfied before anybody can be removed to Rwanda.’

Lord Carlile said ‘the Bill can go through as long as this is done’, adding: ‘The Government has been very laconic in its attitude so far and has attempted to brush aside opposition, pretending it is not an issue. But it is a huge issue.’

A Liberal Democrat and Green Party attempt to kill off the Bill with a ‘fatal motion’ in the Lords today will not win the support of Labour, meaning it will almost certainly fail.

Church of England bishops are also expected to voice their opposition to the Bill.

In last week’s debate, the Bishop of Gloucester Rachel Treweek said it was ‘remarkable’ that the Government was asking Parliament to state that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers.

Bishop Treweek added: ‘The Prime Minister has called on peers to get on board and do what is right, but I fear it cannot be right to assure ourselves that asylum seekers will be protected by a few sheets of paper.’

More than 70 peers are due to speak during today’s debate, with individual amendments voted on at a later stage.