UK's Rwanda asylum legislation to return to parliament after Easter

[March 21, 2024]  LONDON (Reuters) -Legislation that seeks to block further court challenges to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda will next be debated in parliament on April 15. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London, Britain, March 20, 2024. UK Parliament/Maria Unger/Handout via REUTERS

The government wants to relocate thousands of asylum seekers who arrive in Britain on small, inflatable boats each year to live in Rwanda, but legal challenges have so far prevented anyone being sent to the East African country yet.

To overcome objections by the court, Sunak's government is passing the bill that declares Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers and disapplies parts of human rights law in an attempt to block further legal challenges.

The bill must return to the House of Commons after the House of Lords on Wednesday defeated the government and reinstated demands for greater protections in a process known as “ping pong", where it is passed between the two parliamentary chambers until they can agree the final wording.

The legislation will now be debated after the House of Commons' Easter break according to an announcement of upcoming parliamentary business by leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt.

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James)

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