Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: Proposed amendments for House of Lords Committee stage

Executive Summary

In this report, the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law proposes amendments to several clauses of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill with the aim of addressing some of the most significant Rule of Law issues raised by the Bill.

While our view is that the Bill in its essence is a major infringement of the Rule of Law and the separation of powers, and should not be passed, we nevertheless accept that the House of Lords may wish to engage constructively with the Government's aims. The suggestions in this report therefore should be seen in this context whereby we aim to assist and inform the House of Lords' consideration of the Bill during its Committee stage beginning on 12 February 2024. The proposed amendments create the possibility that the scheme in the Bill could be operated consistently with the UK's international obligations and with much less offence to the constitutional principle of the Rule of Law.

Previous Bingham Centre reports have provided detailed Rule of Law analysis and will assist the House of Lords in its broader consideration of the issues raised by the Bill.