Controversial Rwanda bill to be voted on by peers tomorrow  

‘It’s now or never – we are urging peers to reject the Rwanda bill – refugees’ lives are not a game’ – Sacha Deshmukh

Stunt: Rishi Sunak look-a-like spins a Rwanda bill ‘wheel of misfortune’ to highlight the serious consequences of the controversial Rwanda bill - IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE

The Rwanda bill is an assault on the rule of law and the protection of human rights in this country and the Lords should face it down, Amnesty International said today (Monday 11 March) ahead of the Lords vote tomorrow.

Amnesty is calling for Parliamentarians to “reject the bill” and ensure the Government stops playing a “dystopian horror game” with the lives of people seeking asylum.

If passed, the bill will force courts in the UK to rule that Rwanda is a safe country for people claiming asylum in the UK to be sent to, despite the Supreme Court recently finding the country unsafe.

Amnesty’s recent briefing - Gambling with lives: how a bad policy wrecked the UK asylum system - provides a detailed analysis of how the Government has doubled-down on its outright refusal to process the asylum claims of tens of thousands of people seeking asylum with schemes such as the Rwanda bill. This policy has “largely shut down” the UK's asylum system.

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said: 

“We are strongly urging peers to end this dystopian horror game and stop playing with refugees’ lives, the rule of law and our human rights.

“This could all come to an end now if the Government abandons the cruel policy of refusing to decide asylum claims this country receives – this policy is the root cause of why the asylum system has largely shut down in the UK.

“It’s now or never – we are urging peers to reject the Rwanda bill – refugees’ lives are not a game.”

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill “wheel of misfortune”

Earlier today, Amnesty International UK staged a stunt at Parliament Square with a Rishi Sunak look-a-like dressed in a shiny gold-sequin jacket acting as a gameshow host spinning a “wheel of misfortune” to highlight the very serious negative consequences of the Government’s controversial Safety of Rwanda bill. 

Images available here. © Marie-Anne Ventoura/Amnesty International UK.