- By Becky Morton
- BBC political reporter
January 18, 2024, 12:02 GMT
Updated 2 hours ago
video caption,
The Prime Minister answered questions about the Rwanda law during Thursday's press conference
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged the House of Lords to pass its flagship Rwanda legislation as he warned his colleagues against “frustrating the will of the people”.
At a press conference after MPs passed the legislation, Mr Sunak said it was now up to the Lords to “do the right thing”.
However, he declined to give a date when flights carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda would start.
The Prime Minister simply said he wanted this to happen “as quickly as possible”.
Although only 11 Conservative MPs ultimately voted against the law as a whole, Mr Sunak still endured his biggest rebellion since becoming prime minister, with around 60 backing changes they said would toughen the law.
The rebels argue the bill will not work in its current form because they believe flights will continue to be blocked by legal challenges.
The aim of the policy is to stop people crossing the English Channel in small boats, which Mr Sunak has made a key priority of his time in office.
However, Labor describes it as an expensive “gimmick” that is unworkable and unlawful.
Before the bill comes into force it must be approved by the House of Lords, where it is expected to face strong opposition.
The Lords are unlikely to reject it outright, but they may propose changes that would delay progress.
Crossbench peer Lord Carlile, a leading lawyer and former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, described the bill as “a step towards totalitarianism”.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today program that many of his colleagues would see it as “a step too far” and an “illegitimate political interference in the law”.
Mr Sunak urged his colleagues to pass the bill as is and get flights operational as quickly as possible, calling it “an urgent national priority”.
“The treaty with Rwanda has been signed and the legislation that recognizes Rwanda as a safe country has passed unchanged in our elected chamber,” he said.
“Now there is only one question: Will the opposition in the appointed upper house seek to thwart the will of the people as expressed in the elected House of Representatives? Or will she embrace it and do the right thing?”
Labour's shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the prime minister's comments were “bizarre”.
“The House of Lords exists to consider legislation,” he said, adding that this role is “very important in our democracy.”
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Rishi Sunak's fight over the Rwanda plan is not over yet
Asked whether he could guarantee the flights would take place before the next general election, expected this year, Mr Sunak said: “It was clear to me that we wanted to do this as quickly as possible… and now it is at Parliament.” of the gentlemen.”
Previously, Home Secretary Chris Philp told BBC Breakfast that the “aim” was for flights to start by spring, and Mr Sunak had also previously stated that this was his aim.
However, the Prime Minister did not give a specific date when asked by journalists at the press conference.
Peers are expected to begin debating the Rwanda bill before the end of this month, with key votes taking place in early March, according to senior Upper House sources.
This is followed by legislative “ping-pong” as the Commons and Lords try to reconcile their versions of the bill.
This is likely to result in the government attempting to remove any changes introduced by the Lords.
If everything goes according to plan, the bill should be passed around mid-March.
Even after it becomes law, Mr Sunak's critics believe legal challenges could delay or block deportation flights.