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The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill risks damaging the UK’s human rights legal framework and breaching its obligations under international law, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has told MPs and Peers.

Fulfilling its role as a National Human Rights Institution, the EHRC provided the Joint Committee on Human Rights with written evidence to support the committee’s legislative scrutiny of the Bill. The EHRC has also provided Peers with briefing ahead of the Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords yesterday (Monday 29 January 2024).

A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission yesterday said:

“Human rights are universal and must be guaranteed for all.

“The Human Rights Act (HRA) has significantly improved human rights protections for everyone in the UK, but the Safety of Rwanda Bill undermines the universality of human rights by disapplying core provisions of the HRA.

“On the face of the Bill, the Home Secretary was unable to confirm that it complies with the European Convention on Human Rights. By disapplying sections of the HRA and seeking to prevent courts from considering the risk of refoulement, this Bill could expose people to harm and breaches of their right to life, their rights to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment and their right to effective remedy.”

Parliamentary briefing: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill House of Lords – Second Reading (29 January 2024)