MPs reject Lords’ amendment on Rwanda bill – UK politics live

There is now only one issue dividing the two houses – whether or not the bill should include the Lord Hope amendment saying that Rwanda should not be considered safe until the government has declared it is on the basis of advice from the indpendent monitoring committee.

The opposition did not press its demand for the bill to include an exemption from removal for Afghan nationals who assisted British troops, following what opponents hailed as a government concession.

The House of Lords backed by 240 votes to 211, majority 29, a requirement that the east African country could not be treated as safe until the Secretary of State, having consulted an independent monitoring body, had made a statement to Parliament.

In case you missed it earlier, the Rwanda deportation scheme will not begin until the summer, Rishi Sunak admitted on Monday, acknowledging a further delay to the policy even as MPs and peers began debating it for the final time.

Amnesty International UK warned airline companies that they should be “mindful that many members of the public - including passengers, shareholders, and other contractors - may take an “extremely negative view” of any involvement in the policy.

Any involvement by commercial airlines in Rwanda refugee flights may open them up to legal challenge on the grounds of complicity in the government’s human rights violations.