Archbishop of Canterbury says Rwanda plan 'leading nation down a damaging path'
The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Government of "leading the nation down a damaging path" with its latest Rwanda Bill.
Speaking in the House of Lords, the leader of the Church of England said: "We can as a nation do better than this Bill." Archbishop Justin Welby accused ministers of "outsourcing our legal and moral responsibilities" - and hinted he may vote against it in the coming weeks.
He made the remarks as peers laid into the Government's flagship legislation, which would see Parliament declare the African nation a safe place to send asylum seekers to. The Archbishop warned that the Government's plan "undermines our international standing".
He said: "With this Bill, the Government is continuing to seek good objectives in the wrong way, leading the nation down a damaging path. It is damaging for asylum seekers in need of protection and safe and legal routes. It is damaging for this country's reputation." He added that the Bill - designed to get around a Supreme Court ruling deeming the scheme unlawful - also goes against the "rule of law".
In a scathing assessment, the Archbishop said: "Rwanda is a country I know well. This is a wonderful country. And my complaint is not with Rwanda, nor with its people. It has overcome challenges that we cannot begin to imagine.
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"This Bill continues to outsource our legal and moral responsibilities for refugees and asylum seekers, when other countries far poorer are already supporting multitudes more than we are now."
Calling for the Government to rethink its strategy, he said: "The UK should lead internationally as it has in in the past, not stand apart." And he added: "I will simply say that a pick and choose approach to international law undermines our global standing and offends against the principle of universality that is their increasingly threatened foundation."
Also speaking out against it was Tory former Chancellor Ken Clarke, who said he could not support the Bill. Lord Clarke of Nottingham told peers parts of the legislation were a "step too far for me". The Tory peer said Parliament overruling the courts on Rwanda's safety set a "very dangerous constitutional provision".
The Government is braced for a bruising battle with the Lords over its Rwanda plan, which critics dismiss as a gimmick and experts warn breaches international law. In November the Supreme Court branded it unlawful, prompting ministers to agree a new treaty with the country and push through legislation declaring it safe.
After a bitter clash in the Commons, which saw 11 Tory MPs rebel, Rishi Sunak urged peers against blocking "the will of the people" by opposing the Bill. The PM's official spokesman said: "This Bill is a key part of how we stop violent criminal gangs targeting vulnerable people that has led to too many deaths in the English Channel.
"That is the right thing to do, it is also the fair thing to do both for taxpayers and for those individuals seeking to come here through safe and legal routes who see their place jumped by those who can afford to make crossings on small boats. We've worked very carefully both on the Bill and the treaty in coordination with the Rwanda government and we continue to believe that this bill is the right way forward to get the flights off the ground and to stop the boats."
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