The deportation plan for Rwanda, drafted by Rishi Sunak, suffered defeat in parliament for the first time when peers passed a historic resolution to postpone the treaty with the country in east Africa.
By a majority of 43 votes, the House of Lords supported a proposal to postpone the contentious deportation deal until the administration could demonstrate that the nation is secure. The vote was 214 to 171.
The House agreed with former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith of Tony Blair’s request that parliament hold off on ratifying the agreement until government officials could provide proof that Rwanda is safe.
The government agreed a legally-binding treaty with Kigali in December – arguing that it addressed concerns raised by the Supreme Court about the possibility of asylum seekers deported to Rwanda being transferred to a country where they could be at risk.
But Lord Goldsmith’s cross-party agreements committee said promised safeguards in the agreement are “incomplete” and must be guaranteed before the pact can be endorsed.
Even while Mr. Sunak pleaded with peers not to obstruct the “will of the people,” the first blow dealt by peers portends a difficult ride for the legislation in the Lords.
Despite the government’s insistence that the defeat won’t hinder the PM’s bill from passing the Lords, there’s now a chance that a judicial challenge attempting to halt flights might be launched if the new peer demand is disregarded.
Nigel Farage immediately lashed out at the result. “We must sack all current members of the House of Lords,” the hard-right figure tweeted on X. “It is beyond parody.”
Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson earlier said the Archbishop of Canterbury – a peer who has spoken out against the Rwanda plan – should put up small boat arrivals in the “spare rooms” of Lambeth Palace.
The Rwanda bill’s second reading debate is scheduled to take place in the Lords on January 29.