The British House of Lords initially rejected ratifying a controversial deal with Rwanda to deport people to the East African country. A majority of 214 members to 171 voted last night in favor of delaying ratification until the British government demonstrated that Rwanda was a safe country to receive those deported there.
The majority of the Upper House followed a recommendation from a cross-party committee. In a report, he described the guarantees provided for in the agreement as “incomplete”. However, unlike the elected lower house, the upper house cannot block ratification of the agreement.
Opposition criticism
The deal is a central part of plans by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative government to combat illegal migration by deporting asylum seekers to the East African country. The opposition, as well as human rights activists, strongly criticize the plan, but it is also very controversial among Sunak's conservatives.
Last Wednesday, the British House of Commons passed legislation on the plans. It stipulates that people who entered the country irregularly could, in future, be sent from Great Britain to Rwanda, which will be classified as a safe third country, without their asylum application being examined. The British government hopes this will have a deterrent effect. The law is scheduled to be discussed in the Upper House next week.