On 6th March 2024, the House of Lords debated the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill in the final day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:
Division 1:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of Manchester, the Bishop of Southwark, and the Archbishop of Canterbury took part in a vote on amendment 33, tabled by Baroness Chakrabarti, which would insert a new clause restoring “the ability of the Secretary of State, immigration officers, courts, and tribunals, to consider whether the Republic of Rwanda is a safe country and jurisdiction of domestic courts and tribunals to grant interim relief.”
The amendment was agreed. Content: 278 / Not Content: 189
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of Manchester, the Bishop of Southwark, and the Archbishop of Canterbury voted Content.
Division 2:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Bishop of Manchester, the Bishop of Southwark, and the Archbishop of Canterbury took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Lister of Burtersett which would seek to restore the jurisdiction of the courts to review removal decisions taken on the basis of age assessments of unaccompanied children.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 265 / Not Content: 181
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Bishop of Manchester, the Bishop of Southwark, and the Archbishop of Canterbury voted Content.
Division 3:
The Bishop of Manchester took part in a vote on amendment 41, tabled by Lord Coaker, to insert the new clause Removals to Rwanda under the Illegal Migration Act 2023, which would require “the publication of a timetable for the Government’s plans to remove asylum cases accrued under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 to Rwanda.”
The amendment was agreed. Content: 228 / Not Content: 184
The Bishop of Manchester voted Not Content.
Division 4:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, and the Bishop of Manchester took part in a vote on amendment 42, tabled by Baroness Butler-Sloss, which would provide protection from removal to Rwanda for victims of modern slavery.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 246 / Not Content: 171
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, and the Bishop of Manchester voted Content.
Division 5:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, and the Bishop of Manchester took part in a vote on amendment 44, tabled by Lord Browne of Ladyton, which would introduce an exemption from removal to Rwanda for “agents, allies, and employees of the UK overseas.”
The amendment was agreed. Content: 244 / Not Content: 160
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Chelmsford, and the Bishop of Manchester voted Content.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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