Rwanda bill: Rishi Sunak to hold press conference as government faces vote showdown in parliament

The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill compels judges to regard the country as “safe” and disapplies sections of the Human Rights Act and international law.

The legislation would also give ministers the power to ignore emergency injunctions.

Asylum-seekers could still challenge deportation based on their individual circumstances, such as serious mental or physical conditions, or if they are a victim of torture or if they are suicidal.

But they would not be able to make a generic argument that removal to Rwanda presented a general risk of “refoulement” – where asylum seekers are removed and returned to a country where they face persecution.

The deputy foreign minister has said Rwanda’s capital is safer than London as he urged peers to back down over the government’s deportation bill.

Andrew Mitchell said amendments to the Rwanda bill were not necessary and further “ping pong” between the Lords and the Commons was “not the right way to proceed”.

“The Lords have had their say, they are a revising chamber and it is now time for them to accept the bill,” Mr Mitchell said.

Pressed by the BBC about the safety of Rwanda for asylum seekers, Mr Mitchell said: “The remarkable regime in Rwanda over the last 30 years has come back from the abyss – a country completely destroyed by the genocide.

“It is absolutely extraordinary what the Rwandan government has achieved in all walks of life. It is a safe country. And indeed, if you look at the statistics, Kigali is arguably safer than London.”

Peers voted on Wednesday night in favour of an amendment to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill that would exempt Afghan heroes who supported UK troops overseas from being deported.

They also insisted on a monitoring committee to assess whether Rwanda is safe before the government sends asylum seekers there.

MPs have refused to make concessions to their plan to deport asylum seekers to the east African country, with Downing Street insisting the bill is “the right way forward”.

But members of the Lords refused to back down, meaning that the bill will return to the Commons again today. MPs are expected to vote down the changes again, forcing it back to the Lords.

Rishi Sunak will give Rwanda £50m as soon as his flagship deportation bill becomes law, the Home Office has admitted.

With the bill expected to gain royal assent this week, the UK will send Kigali the latest payment of cash despite no migrants having been sent to the east African nation.

The policy is designed to let the government deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda, by deeming the country “safe” in British law, with the government expecting initial flights to take off in the coming months.

Deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell rejected peers’ calls for Afghans who helped British troops to be exempted from the risk of being sent to Rwanda.

He insisted there was a “safe and legal route” available to them to come to the UK and urged the House of Lords to “accept the will” of the House of Commons and the British people.

Mr Mitchell told Times Radio: “We have an absolute obligation to Afghan interpreters, people who served the British Army, served our country during the Afghan crisis.

“But I’m pleased to say that thanks to the scheme that the Government set up, the Arap (Afghan relocations and assistance policy) scheme, something like 16,100 Afghans have been given settlement in the UK.

“So I don’t think this amendment is necessary, there is already a safe and legal route for Afghan interpreters and others who served the Army.”

Mr Mitchell said he hoped the Lords “will accept the will of the elected House now and let the Bill proceed” as “that is what the British people want”.

“We know overwhelmingly that they agree that we need to stop the boats, the Government’s got a clear plan, no one else has got a clear plan.”

Deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell rejected peers’ calls for Afghans who helped British troops to be exempted from the risk of being sent to Rwanda.

Rishi Sunak will urge peers to back his Rwanda plan at a surprise press conference ahead of a final parliamentary showdown.

The prime minister will address the country from Downing Street at 10.30am ahead of crunch votes on the legislation aimed at making the plan to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda legally watertight.

The government has vowed to keep parliament sitting late into the night if necessary to pass the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) bill, which it sees as vital to the Prime Minister’s pledge to “stop the boats”.

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog. We will be bringing you live updates throughout the day as the Rwanda Bill is set to go back to the House of Lords.