Give the Commons time to debate UK-Rwanda Treaty, says Home Affairs Committee

The Home Affairs Committee has published a short report calling on the Government to provide time for the House of Commons to debate and reach a view on the UK-Rwanda Treaty. 

In response to the Supreme Court’s judgment which ruled that the plans to send asylum claimants to Rwanda were unlawful, the Government responded by renegotiating the treaty with Rwanda and introducing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. The Bill is about to have its committee stage in the Commons, but as yet no time has been allocated to debate the treaty. 

Dame Diana Johnson MP said: 

“The Safety of Rwanda Bill returns to Parliament to be debated and voted on next week. However, despite including important provisions about how people removed from the UK would be treated, and therefore being a key pillar of the Government’s asylum and immigration strategy, time has not been set aside for the House of Commons to consider the new treaty. 

“The UK-Rwanda treaty will be of significant legal and political importance. The Home Affairs Committee believes that the House should be able to debate it and reach a view on whether it should be ratified within the 21 sitting days provided for by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Committee therefore calls on the Government to provide parliamentary time for this before the end of January.”