He now says that he expects deportation flights to take off to the east African country in 10-12 weeks’ time.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing yet more humiliation after breaking yet another pledge, which he insisted he was on track to meet just two weeks ago.
Rishi Sunak had promised that flights removing asylum seekers to Rwanda, who had arrived via illegal routes, would be taking off in the Spring, despite the legislation being hit by a number of delays and setbacks.
He now says that he expects deportation flights to take off to the east African country in 10-12 weeks’ time.
Sunak’s press conference at Downing Street this morning came as his flagship Rwanda bill undergoes the Parliamentary ‘ping-pong’ stage between the Lords and the Commons, with both Houses of Parliament scheduled to sit late into the night today to get the bill passed.
The Commons has previously rejected the Lords’ amendments, one of which would have granted a removal exemption for people who had supported the UK’s armed forces overseas. Peers are now pushing for a change to the bill that would establish a committee to monitor the safety of asylum seekers in Rwanda, operating outside the country’s own judiciary.
Under the proposed amendment, the first flights could not take off until the committee had deemed Rwanda safe. Tory MPs are expected to reject the amendments.
Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill, which forms a key part of his plan to stop small boat crossings across the channel, has faced a number of legal setbacks, after the Supreme Court ruled last year that it could lead to human rights breaches. Sunak has brought forward emergency legislation, in a bid to force the policy through, compelling judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country and giving ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act.
At his press conference today, the Prime Minister said that “enough is enough” and that MPs will vote through the night in order to pass the bill.
He said: “No ifs, no buts, these flights are going to Rwanda.
“We are going to deliver this indispensable deterrent so that we finally break the business model of the criminal gangs and save lives.”
The PM added: “The first flight will leave in 10 to 12 weeks. Now of course that is later than we wanted.”
He tried to blame Labour peers for delays, however this was an excuse for which he was rightly mocked.
Jon Sopel, host of the News Agents podcast, posted on X: “Given Tory majority in House of Lords bit rich for Rishi Sunak to blame Labour for delay to passing #Rwanda Bill. It’s because so many on his own side and crossbenchers reject the legislation.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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