Rishi Sunak has urged peers to “do the right thing” and back his Rwanda legislation as he prepares for a showdown with the House of Lords after winning Commons approval for his illegal migration plan.
The Prime Minister saw his legislation pass its third reading in the Commons on Wednesday night, after a would-be backbench revolt on his Rwanda Bill largely melted away.
But he has already been warned his flagship policy will face stern opposition from peers.
At a press conference in Downing Street, he said: “It’s now time for the Lords to pass this Bill. This is an urgent national priority.
“The treaty with Rwanda is signed and the legislation which deems Rwanda a safe country has been passed unamended in our elected chamber.
“There is now only one question. Will the opposition in the appointed House of Lords try and frustrate the will of the people as expressed by the elected House? Or will they get on board and do the right thing?”
Mr Sunak has made the Rwanda policy — first proposed in 2022 while Boris Johnson was in No 10 — central to his premiership, forming part of his pledge to stop small boats of migrants from coming to Britain by the English Channel.
Under the plan, migrants who cross the Channel in small boats could be sent to Rwanda rather than being allowed to seek asylum in the UK.
The legislation, along with a recently-signed treaty with Kigali, is aimed at ensuring the scheme is legally watertight after a Supreme Court ruling against it last year.
The successful passage of the Bill through the Commons came as a boost to Mr Sunak, but only after another display of the deep divisions in the Tory Party after dozens of backbenchers rebelled to back right-wing amendments over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Prime Minister insisted Wednesday’s vote on the third reading showed his party was “completely united”.
Mr Sunak, facing dire poll figures and with Labour tipped to win the next general election, repeatedly said his “plan was working”.
He also repeated his attacks on Labour, warning Sir Keir Starmer’s party would drag the country back to “square one”.
The House of Lords could significantly stall the Rwanda legislation, which would put in jeopardy Mr Sunak’s ambition to have removal flights leaving by the spring.
The stalled policy already comes with a £290 million bill. No asylum seekers arriving by unauthorised routes have yet been relocated.
