The plan of the UK Government to extradite asylum seekers to Rwanda has met a hurdle after the House of Lords voted on Monday, demanding that the government provide substantiation for its claims that Rwanda is a safe country before ratifying a new agreement between the UK and the African nation. This development follows a report released by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee on the UK-Rwanda treaty on January 17, advising that the safety arrangements detailed within the treaty are not yet comprehensive and require further consideration before ratification. The vote, which saw 214 members of the House of Lords in favour of the motion against 171, is pivotal to ensuring that adequate protection is guaranteed before the UK-Rwanda Agreement on an Asylum Partnership is ratified. This motion was a consequence of a highly controversial debate in the chamber that spanned over four hours.
Since its inception in April 2022, the government’s plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced numerous legal obstacles. Importantly, in November, the Supreme Court deemed that Rwanda was not a safe country, rendering the plan unlawful. Despite the ruling, the government went on to sign a new treaty with Rwanda with plans to enact legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country in the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
Earlier this month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued a report stating that the legislation contravenes international law and is quite clearly at odds with internationally accepted norms of refugee law. Despite these factors, the House of Commons managed to pass the bill on January 17 with 320 votes to 276.
The latest action by the House of Lords will undoubtedly slow down the ratification of the treaty. The Safety of Rwanda Bill is now set to be forwarded to the Lords’ chamber for its second reading next week.
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