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09 February 2024 / Michael Zander KC
Issue: 8058 / Categories: Features , Immigration & asylum
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Tracking the Rwanda Bill

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In the first part of a special NLJ series, Michael Zander KC analyses the Lords debate on the Bill’s second reading
  • Unusually strong feeling in the Lords, after Lord German moved an amendment to the Rwanda Bill, triggering a vote on the second reading.

Introducing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, Lord Stewart of Dirleton, Advocate General for Scotland, said: ‘We recognise that some of the provisions in the Bill are novel. However, the Government are satisfied that the Bill can be implemented in line with both our domestic law and international obligations’ (Hansard, HL Vol 835, col 1006).

That view did not find a great deal of support during that second reading debate on Monday, 29 January. A second reading debate normally goes through without a vote. But this Bill raises unusually strong feeling and an amendment moved by Lord German (Lib Dem) proposed that the Bill should not be read a second time, ‘because it (1) places the United Kingdom at risk of breaching its international law commitments; (2) undermines the rule of law by ousting

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