Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard Excerpts

Report stage
Wednesday 6th March 2024 Lords Chamber

His Majesty’s Government and the Government of Rwanda have agreed and begun to implement assurances and commitments to strengthen Rwanda’s asylum system. This includes: devising new operational training to Rwandan asylum decision-makers; establishing clear standard operating procedures which will capture new processes implemented through the treaty; and strengthening procedural oversight of the MEDP and asylum processes through enhanced monitoring functions delivered by the monitoring committee. In advance of agreeing the treaty, we worked with the Government of Rwanda to respond to the findings of the court by documenting Rwanda’s existing asylum procedures and practice in the standard operating procedures relating to and reflecting the current refugee status determination and appeals process.

[Lord Kerr of Kinlochard (CB)]

Have the procedures required under Article 10.3 of the treaty to ensure that refoulement does not take place, as it did in the Israeli case, yet been devised?

[Lord Stewart of Dirleton (Con)]

My Lords, the Israeli case to which the noble Lord, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, referred was—I make this point first—a completely different circumstance from the provisions set out in our Bill and the accompanying treaty. I will have to revert to the noble Lord on the specific point he raised, which is whether those procedures are in place as yet, or whether they come under the context of those to which I made reference—whether they are being worked up and implemented. If the noble Lord is content with that answer, I will correspond with him. I am grateful to him for indicating assent.

As I was saying, we will ratify the treaty only once we are satisfied that all necessary implementation is in place, and the treaty will be expedited. As I was saying in relation to the noble Lord’s point a moment ago, we continue to work with the Rwandans on this. As we set out to the House on Monday—