Rwanda bill – live: Sunak doubles down on refusal to help Afghan heroes as no guarantee of fights by spring

Downing Street has declined to recommit to the prime minister’s spring deadline to get deportation flights off the ground to Rwanda.

Rishi Sunak’s spokesman told reporters: “Our intention is to get this passed on Monday such that we can then set out the timetable for getting flights off as soon as possible.”

He said the timetable was initially set out in November “but obviously the bill has continued to be delayed”.

“I’m not going to get ahead of the bill passing, which obviously we’ve seen again last night has continued to be held up.

“We’re working at pace to ensure these flights leave as soon as possible. It’s now incumbent on the Lords to pass this Bill such that we can trigger the final planning phases and ultimately stop the boats.”

The government will not be making concessions on changes to the Rwanda bill requested by the House of Lords, Downing Street has indicated.

Peers on Wednesday again supported an exemption from removal for those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters.

Asked whether ministers could move on that, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “The amendment is unnecessary.

“We already have safe and legal routes for people in this category. It’s one of the most generous safe and legal routes that we have in fact.

“We are proud that we have relocated over 16,000 people to safety through the scheme so far.”

He said the amendment would “create an unnecessary and dangerous incentive for these people to travel here illegally, which is precisely what this bill is trying to avoid.”

Peers voted on Wednesday night in favour of an amendment to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill that would exempt Afghan heroes who supported UK troops overseas from being deported.

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt has said MPs will consider further Lords amendments to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on 22 April.

Further time will be made available in the Commons on 23 April if the Lords continue to make changes.

The Home Office has confirmed a new deal with Vietnam to strengthen collaboration on efforts to tackle illegal migration, including through deterrence communication campaigns and intelligence-sharing.

Vietnamese nationals made up 5 per cent of small boat arrivals in the UK in 2023, up from 1 per cent in 2022 but the same proportion as in 2021, Home Office figures show.

From 2018 to the end of 2023, there were 3,356 Vietnamese small boat arrivals, putting Vietnam in the top 10 source countries.

Home secretary James Cleverly accused Labour of a “politically cynical” effort to scupper the Rwanda scheme as peers dealt another blow to the asylum plan.

Labour said the government should stop wasting time and money on the “hare-brained scheme” which aims to send some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda in order to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Mr Cleverly said: “Terrified that the Rwanda scheme will work, and desperate to delay or disrupt over a hundred votes about stopping the boats, Labour have acted again to block the passage of the Rwanda Bill.

“It’s been another politically cynical effort by them, who have no alternative deterrent and no plan to tackle illegal migration, to frustrate the only solution on offer.

“We want to break the criminal people smuggling gangs and stop the boats. Labour, uncomfortable with tackling immigration, will clearly stop at nothing to stop the planes”.

Grant Shapps insisted there are already schemes in place to help Afghan heroes come to the UK as he sought to justify the government’s refusal to accept an amendment to the Rwanda bill that would exempt people who have served with British forces being deported to the African country.

Speaking to the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, the defence secretary said: “As defence secretary, I am immensely keen to ensure that people who supported us in Afghanistan are able to move here. That’s why we have a programme of Afghans’ ability to come here, which has already brought 16,000 people here.

When it was put to him that there were lots of other Afghan heroes who hadn’t been offered asylum, Mr Shapps added: “The way to do that is legally – not be allowing people who have come here illegally via people smugglers to then stay here.”

Peers voted on Wednesday night in favour of an amendment to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill that would exempt Afghan heroes who supported UK troops overseas from being deported.