Rishi Sunak's Rwanda migration bill suffers a blow in Britain's Parliament
ABC News
The upper house of Britain’s Parliament has urged the Conservative government not to ratify a migration treaty with Rwanda
LONDON -- The upper house of Britain’s Parliament has urged the Conservative government not to ratify a migration treaty with Rwanda. It's a largely symbolic move, but signals more opposition to come for the stalled and contentious plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to the African nation.
The House of Lords voted by 214 to 171 on Monday evening to delay the treaty that paves the way for the deportation plan. The treaty and an accompanying bill are the pillars of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ’s bid to overcome a block on the deportations by the U.K. Supreme Court.
Members of the Lords, who are appointed rather than elected, backed a motion saying Parliament should not ratify the pact until ministers can show Rwanda is safe.
John Kerr, a former diplomat who sits in the Lords, said the Rwanda plan was “incompatible with our responsibilities” under international human rights law.
“The considerations of international law and national reputation ... convince me that it wouldn’t be right to ratify this treaty at any time," he said.
