JRS: 'Rwanda Bill will destroy lives of people who have already lost everything'

Houses of Parliament: ICN/JS

The Rwanda Bill, under which refugees arriving in the UK will be forceably sent to Rwanda, is being debated in the House of Lords today.

Sarah Teather, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service said: "As the cruel and risible Rwanda Bill has its second reading in the house of Lords, there has been much discussion about its implications for politicians' careers. We urge policy-makers to remember that this isn't about party politics pantomime. If enacted, the Rwanda scheme will destroy the lives of people who have already lost everything. It is these people- men, women, and children- who should be foremost in this discussion. For them, we continue to oppose this Bill and the Rwanda scheme as a whole."

As the legislation was debated for the first time in the House of Lords today, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the Safety of Rwanda Bill could "expose people to harm" as well as breach their rights to life and to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment by blocking off domestic legal challenges.

While the Bill is expected to pass at second reading, its first Lords vote, many peers are expected to use the debate to criticise the laws and the Rwanda policy, which was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in November.