Rwanda bill delay may stop Sunak’s spring flights

Britain’s House of Lords proposed new changes to the Safety of Rwanda bill on Wednesday, after previous amendments were voted down in the Commons earlier in the week. The bill must now return to the Commons, potentially delaying its passage until after Parliament’s break for Easter. Such a delay would be a political blow to Rishi Sunak, who wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of his “stop the boats” pledge before he has to call a general election. The Safety of Rwanda bill declares that the East African country is a safe place for asylum seekers arriving in the UK to be sent to, even though the Supreme Court has ruled otherwise and stalled such deportation flights. “Laws don’t usually legislate facts,” said one lawyer who represented six claimants in earlier Rwanda litigation, adding that many legal challenges would no longer be possible if the bill becomes law.