We are apalled that the Rwanda bill has been allowed to progress through Parliament and through it's second reading in the House of Commons. This bill represents a serious attack on the rights of people seeking safety and sanctuary and much more widely, on the legal and consistutional principles of the UK.
We endorse the briefing by ILPA and others prepared prior to the second reading and echo the concerns raised in their briefing. Namely the;
Disapplication of domestic treaties the UK are bound to.
Breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The undermining of our legal system and the role of the judiciary, undermining our constitutional separation of powers.
These concerns about the bill extend into the way the UK is seen internationally, in respect of our reputation in terms of the rule of law, our role in securing and upholding human rights and our role as a key and central partner in international rights treaties.
We condemn the bill and join calls for the bill to be turned down at all stages of the bills progression through parliament.