Rwanda Bill: Government suffers fresh defeats in Lords
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The government's flagship Rwanda Bill has suffered a fresh set of defeats in the House of Lords.
Despite MPs overturning previous changes, peers backed Labour plans to carve out exceptions to the scheme for children and ensure it sticks to international law.
The much-debated bill will now return to the House of Commons for a vote on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he aims for the bill to pass this week.
The plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced setbacks since it was first announced in April 2022 by Boris Johnson's government.
Despite repeated defeats in the Lords, the government's large majority means the amendments made by peers are likely to be overturned.
The margin of the defeats was narrowed as the Tory administration drafted in rarely seen peers to bolster numbers.
It will not become law until both the Commons and Lords agree on the final wording, a process known as parliamentary ping-pong.
Peers renewed their demand for the Bill to have "due regard" for international and key domestic laws, including human rights and modern slavery legislation, by backing a Labour amendment.
The Lords agreed to crossbench peer Lord Hope's measure, requiring Rwanda to pass an independent verification before it is considered safe.
Labour's proposal of exemption for those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters, from removal secured renewed support.
Ahead of the next election, Mr Sunak has made "stopping the boats" a key pledge of his leadership.
Earlier, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: "We remain focused on getting the Bill passed as soon as possible so we can get flights off the ground and break the business model of the criminal gangs.
"The prime minister's message to parliamentarians across both Houses hasn't changed. We need to act to save lives and that's what this Bill will help us to do."
