Rwanda deportation scheme faces MORE delays after unelected peers inflict defeats on Government

THE Rwanda deportation scheme faces further delay after unelected peers last night inflicted fresh defeats on the Government.

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Bill was once again torn to shreds by the Lords, despite it having won strong backing from MPs earlier this week.

AFP

Rishi Sunak’s flagship Bill to tackle illegal migrants was again attacked by the Lords[/caption]

The stand-off – which is being cheered along by human rights activists – means there is no chance it will become law before Parliament’s Easter break.

MPs will have to throw out the changes made by peers during a second round of “ping pong” – the process whereby a Bill is batted between the two Parliamentary chambers until they can agree the final wording.

Parliament dates could have been set aside for it before the recess but No10 officials have insisted even if the Bill is not passed until after Easter, the PM can still meet his goal of having the first deportation flights take off this spring.

Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker said: “That’s not our fault it’s coming back after Easter, it’s the Government’s own management of its own timetable.”

The legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled deportation 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 also give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions.