Ministers are due to rebuff a Labour-led attempt by the House of Lords to thwart their new treaty with Rwanda.
A former Labour attorney general will try to halt the ratification of the deal – designed to get deportation flights off the ground – until the African nation demonstrates that it is safe for asylum seekers.
The Prime Minister has already warned peers not to defy the ‘will of the people’ when it starts work on the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which cleared the Commons this week.
Now it has emerged they will also table a motion demanding a 10-point plan for new laws and measures to ensure the east African nation is deemed safe.
The motion, due to be laid on Monday, is not binding on the Government but it represents a further attempt by the Upper House to frustrate Rishi Sunak’s flagship immigration policy.
The Prime Minister has already warned peers not to defy the ‘will of the people’
The House of Lords international agreements committee, chaired by Tony Blair’s former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, (pictured) has recommended a delay
The treaty was signed by Home Secretary James Cleverly in Kigali last month and sets out a range of safeguards over the treatment of migrants sent to Rwanda.
Parts of the Safety of Rwanda Bill rely on the treaty being in place.
The House of Lords international agreements committee, chaired by Tony Blair’s former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, has recommended a delay.
Asked yesterday whether the Government would agree to it, Downing Street said it was ‘confident’ Kigali would implement changes by the time flights begin.
If the Lords votes against ratification, the Government can still proceed by making a statement setting out why it believes the treaty should be ratified.
The treaty was signed by Home Secretary James Cleverly (pictured) in Kigali last month and sets out a range of safeguards over the treatment of migrants sent to Rwanda
Sources said ministers are likely to note the motion, but proceed with ratifying the treaty.
Tory MPs reacted with fury yesterday to peers’ attempts to meddle with Mr Sunak’s attempts to deter small boat migrants.
Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘It is not their job to second guess the political will of the democratically elected House of Commons.’
Many peers have already expressed concerns over the Bill, with one heard to shout ‘shame’ as it was introduced on Thursday and another claiming it was a ‘step towards totalitarianism’.