House of Lords, the upper but unelected house of the British Parliament on Monday (January 22), voted to delay ratification of the British government’s treaty with Rwanda which would enable the British government to send migrants to the African country. The vote is a latest roadblock in British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to ‘Stop the Boats’, which refers to stemming the number of illegal immigrants coming to British shores either by crossing the English Channel or by other means.
Sunak, whose legislation has drawn wide criticism, had urged the House of Lords to pass the bill saying that the legislation represented the will of the people.
A 214 against 171 vote saw the upper house choosing to delay ratification of the treaty between the UK and Rwanda until the UK government demonstrated that Rwanda would be a safe country for migrants, many of whom may not be Rwandans to start with.
PM Sunak is using his political capital for the passage of the legislation and the treaty with Rwanda has been central to his government’s plans to combat the issue of illegal migration.
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Sunak won a knife-edge parliamentary vote over the bill the in House of Commons just last week. It is the lower house of the British Parliament.
Efforts for legal backing
UK Supreme Court ruled last year the plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is illegal under international law. The efforts of the Sunak government to pass the legislation are seen by experts as an attempt to give legal backing to the proposed decision. If the bill is passed, it may compel judges to consider Rwanda as a safe third country.
Not only this, the passage of the bill will mean that UK ministers would gain powers to sidestep some sections of international and British human rights legislation.
Many members of the House of Lords are former senior judges. They have already expressed profound unease about the Rwanda plan.
Unlike the House of Commons, the House of Lords doesn’t have the power to block the treaty completely. But delay in ratification may mean that critics of the bill, including those in policy-making circles would get a chance for a fresh salvo against the government.
The UK is set to hold nationwide elections later this year. The Labour Party is the current favorite to win the elections. The issue of illegal migrants and the legislation around it is likely to become one of the election issues.
(With inputs from agencies)