Government defeated in Lords over Rwanda bill

The legislation would deem Rwanda a safe country to send asylum seekers to, in a bid to stop removals being derailed by appeals. But peers backed changes to make it easier for judges to challenge this. The bill will continue its passage through the Lords on Wednesday, when opposition peers could inflict further defeats. Ministers want to send an unspecified number of asylum seekers to the east African country.

Critics say it will put people at risk and also undermine the independence of the courts. The government says its new treaty with Rwanda, signed in December, addresses the Supreme Court’s objections. It would mean there was no risk of people being sent to their home countries. The changes made to the bill will now go back to the Commons.

The government has a majority and is likely to overturn them. The bill will then undergo a process known as “ping pong#34, where it would go between MPs and peers until they can agree on the final wording.

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