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Rishi Sunak warned peers he will force them to sit all night if needed so he can ram his flagship Rwanda Bill through Parliament on Monday.
PM takes hardball approach as controversial legislation ‘ping pongs’ between the Commons and Lords
The Prime Minister took a hardball approach as the controversial legislation “ping pongs” between the Commons and Lords.
Peers on Wednesday refused to bow to the will of the Commons and voted in favour of limited amendments to the bill which seeks to get deportation flights to Rwanda, carrying migrants crossing the Channel in “small boats,” going within months.
But Mr Sunak made clear that MPs would reverse these changes on Monday as the Government seeks to force the Lords to give way in the constitutional clash.
“Everyone’s patience with this has run thin, mine certainly has,” said the PM as he took questions from the media after a speech on welfare in central London.
“So our intention now is to get this done on Monday. No more prevarication, no more delay. We will sit there and vote until it’s done.”
He continued: “We’re going to get this Bill passed, and then we will work to get flights off so we can build that deterrent, because that is the only way to resolve this issue.”
The proposed law aims to send some asylum seekers and economic migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda in order to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The bill and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled asylum scheme after the Supreme Court ruled the plan was unlawful.
As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, it would give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions.
But the House of Lords on Wednesday snubbed ministerial calls to back down and again insisted on revisions to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
Despite MPs overturning previous changes by the upper chamber, peers renewed their demand that Rwanda cannot be treated as a safe country until an independent monitoring body has verified that protections contained in the treaty are implemented.
The provision would also allow the Secretary of State to effectively pull the plug on the scheme if the promised safeguards were not maintained.
In a further blow to the Government, peers again supported an exemption from removal for those who worked with the UK military or Government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters.
No 10 indicated the Government will not be making concessions on the changes demanded by peers.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the amendment on exempting Afghans who helped British troops “is unnecessary” as the UK already has “safe and legal routes” for them to come to Britain.
He said the change would “create an unnecessary and dangerous incentive for these people to travel here illegally, which is precisely what this Bill is trying to avoid”.
Earlier, Grant Shapps said ministers will do “whatever we need to do” to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda, in an apparent hint the RAF could be used for deportation flights.
However, chartered planes could also be used
Rishi Sunak warned peers he will force them to sit all night if needed so he can ram his flagship Rwanda Bill through Parliament on Monday.
The Prime Minister took a hardball approach as the controversial legislation “ping pongs” between the Commons and Lords.
Peers on Wednesday refused to bow to the will of the Commons and voted in favour of limited amendments to the bill which seeks to get deportation flights to Rwanda, carrying migrants crossing the Channel in “small boats,” going within months.
But Mr Sunak made clear that MPs would reverse these changes on Monday as the Government seeks to force the Lords to give way in the constitutional clash.
“Everyone’s patience with this has run thin, mine certainly has,” said the PM as he took questions from the media after a speech on welfare in central London.
“So our intention now is to get this done on Monday. No more prevarication, no more delay. We will sit there and vote until it’s done.”
He continued: “We’re going to get this Bill passed, and then we will work to get flights off so we can build that deterrent, because that is the only way to resolve this issue.”
The proposed law aims to send some asylum seekers and economic migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda in order to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The bill and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled asylum scheme after the Supreme Court ruled the plan was unlawful.
As well as compelling judges to regard the east African country as safe, it would give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions.
But the House of Lords on Wednesday snubbed ministerial calls to back down and again insisted on revisions to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
Despite MPs overturning previous changes by the upper chamber, peers renewed their demand that Rwanda cannot be treated as a safe country until an independent monitoring body has verified that protections contained in the treaty are implemented.
The provision would also allow the Secretary of State to effectively pull the plug on the scheme if the promised safeguards were not maintained.
In a further blow to the Government, peers again supported an exemption from removal for those who worked with the UK military or Government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters.
No 10 indicated the Government will not be making concessions on the changes demanded by peers.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the amendment on exempting Afghans who helped British troops “is unnecessary” as the UK already has “safe and legal routes” for them to come to Britain.
He said the change would “create an unnecessary and dangerous incentive for these people to travel here illegally, which is precisely what this Bill is trying to avoid”.
Earlier, Grant Shapps said ministers will do “whatever we need to do” to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda, in an apparent hint the RAF could be used for deportation flights.
However, chartered planes could also be used. Evening Standard
