Rwanda Agreement to be scrutinised by Lords committee

The inquiry will consider how the Agreement protects persons relocated to Rwanda, and whether it deals with the concerns raised by the Supreme Court.

Issues the committee is seeking evidence on include:

• Whether the changes to the asylum partnership made by the Agreement are likely to meet the concerns raised by the Supreme Court
• How strong and effective are the protections for persons relocated to Rwanda
• Views of the enforcement mechanisms in the Agreement
• Views on the design of the new asylum appeal body and how it might function in practice
• Precedents for requiring that claims must be for asylum in a third country.

The committee invites interested individuals to submit written evidence by 4.00pm on 29 December 2023. The full call for evidence and further information is available on the committee’s website.

Lord Goldsmith, Chair of the International Agreements Committee said:

“With a new Bill now before Parliament setting out that Rwanda is a safe country where illegal migrants can be lawfully relocated, the House of Lords International Agreements Committee believe it is paramount to scrutinise whether the Agreement with Rwanda addresses the concerns raised by the Supreme Court about the Government’s Rwanda policy.

“With the Supreme Court having previously decided that the Home Office’s Rwanda policy was unlawful because, there were substantial grounds for believing that there was a real risk of people being returned to countries where they would be at risk (“refoulement”) due to deficiencies in Rwanda’s asylum system, we, as a committee, will do all we can to present a clear picture to the Government and Parliament on whether the Agreement deals with those concerns.

“We therefore encourage all those who have knowledge and expertise in this area to come forward and submit evidence. These valuable contributions will enable us to effectively scrutinise this Agreement and hold the Government accountable.”