UK’s upper house delays PM Sunak’s Rwanda scheme again

LONDON: Britain’s upper house of parliament again proposed changes to Rishi Sunak’s divisive law to send asylum seekers to Rwanda on Tuesday, delaying one of the prime minister’s flagship policies he hopes could help change his party’s electoral fortunes.

Sunak has invested huge political capital in the Rwanda scheme before an election later this year he is predicted to lose, saying it will help meet his pledge to stop thousands of people arriving in Britain without permission in small boats.

The House of Lords, upper house of parliament, for a third time sought to make changes to the new legislation after the House of Commons lower house of parliament rejected its second set of proposals on Monday.

But the move is unlikely to stop the legislation from getting approval this week, meaning it will become law. Sunak hopes to start flights to Rwanda as soon as possible, but the scheme might still be challenged in the courts.

The legislation will now return to the House of Commons on Wednesday when Conservative lawmakers are expected to vote against the proposed changes. The upper chamber might then decide it has failed in convincing elected lawmakers to make any changes and decide to pass it.