Weary Peers Want Rwanda Bill "Out The Way" So Government Can Handle Challenges

Peers in the House of Lords are keen to get the Rwanda Bill "out the way", as despite the fact there are still some concerns around the controversial legislation, many believe the real challenges in enacting it will “start, not finish” when it clears its parliamentary hurdles.

On Monday evening, MPs stripped out 10 amendments that the House of Lords had made to the government’s Safety of Rwanda Bill, the legislation designed to realise the government’s plans to send asylum seekers to the African country.

With the Bill returning to the House of Lords on Wednesday, peers are now redrafting their proposals. Peers expect that between five and seven amendments could be put to them to vote on, before the Bill will be sent back to the Commons for MPs to consider any changes agreed by the Lords. 

There has been some concern among those anxious to see the Bill on the statute books that a prolonged "ping-pong" process between the Commons and Lords could prevent legislation from passing before Easter recess, which begins next week. But one peer told PoliticsHome that many in the upper house now simply want to “get it out of the way”, and leave the government to face the consequences of any perceived weakness in the legislation. 

“Let them get on with it because as far as I'm concerned, once they get it away from us their troubles start, not finish," they said. 

“If they're so desperate to get it, 'let them have it' is my view, and let them see what happens.” 

The Safety of Rwanda Bill declares Rwanda a safe country, as the government’s previous attempts to send asylum seekers to the country have been caught up by challenges in both domestic and international courts. 

In November, the Supreme Court dismissed a government appeal and found