Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Migrant Bill: Parliamentary Ping Pong Ends in Government Victory
The UK government's controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda passed through parliament after a lengthy debate between the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The Conservative Party, which has a majority in the Commons, rejected all amendments and urged the Lords to reconsider.
The legislation, which aims to designate Rwanda as a safe third country for asylum seekers, cleared its final hurdle late into the night.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been pushing for this legislation despite criticism and legal challenges.
The UK government is attempting to pass a bill that would allow them to bypass a Supreme Court ruling preventing the deportation of migrants to Rwanda.
The bill would give decision-makers the power to disregard sections of international and domestic human rights law.
However, the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament, has repeatedly sent the bill back to the House of Commons with amendments, including a requirement for an independent monitoring body to deem Rwanda safe before deportations can occur and an exemption for UK allies and employees from being removed.
Critics argue the bill is inadequate.
MPs in the Commons, where the Conservative Party has a majority, rejected all amendments to a bill and asked the unelected Lords to reconsider.
The Lords, without a party majority, resisted but eventually gave in to the elected MPs' will late at night, allowing the bill to proceed without further amendments and receive royal assent to become law.