Lords pass five amendments to Rwanda bill in heavy defeat for Rishi Sunak

Source: The Guardian

Lords pass five amendments to Rwanda bill in heavy defeat for Rishi Sunak

Peers, including senior Tories, vote by margins of about 100 votes for changes to legislation, which will have to go back to Commons

Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor
Mon 4 Mar 2024 22.27 GMT
Last modified on Mon 4 Mar 2024 23.37 GMT

Rishi Sunak has suffered his heaviest defeat in the House of Lords after the archbishop of Canterbury and former Conservative ministers joined forces with the opposition to force through five amendments to the Rwandan deportation bill.

The string of government setbacks, most passed by unusually large margins of about 100 votes, means the legislation, which aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers on a one-way flight to Kigali, will have to go back to the Commons.

The prime minister has previously warned the unelected chamber against frustrating the “will of the people” by hampering the passage of his safety of Rwanda (asylum and immigration) bill, which has been approved by MPs.

Sunak has made “stopping the boats” a key pledge of his leadership. However, he has been hit by several setbacks including the bill being challenged in the courts. Last week, official auditors said it will cost £1.8m to send each of 300 migrants to Rwanda.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/04/lords-pass-five-amendments-to-rwanda-bill-in-heavy-defeat-for-rishi-sunak