The Conservatives' project to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda has become law after clashes in both houses of Parliament – but how did MPs across Berkshire vote?

The UK government controlled by the Conservatives have had plans since April 2022 to send any asylum seekers who arrive in Britain illegally to Rwanda, the country in East Africa. The policy will work by detaining illegal entrants and then sending them on flights to facilities in Rwanda.

The government hopes that the first flight to Rwanda can be undertaken within 10-12 weeks.

But it has faced difficulties in the courts, with Court of Appeal and Supreme Court decisions declaring that Rwanda was not a safe place for relocation, in a legal challenge mounted by a group of asylum seekers.

In the latest development, Parliament has overruled those legal arguments to declare Rwanda a safe country for the policy. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill passed by 309 votes to 237 on Monday, April 22.

The MPs in Berkshire were split down the middle on the issue.

Conservative MPs James Sunderland for Bracknell, Adam Afriyie for Windsor, Sir John Redwood for Wokingham and Laura Farris for Newbury all voted for the deportation policy.

Members of the opposition Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the Labour MP for Slough, both voted against the bill.

Writing on X/Twitter, Wokingham’s MP Sir John said: “Stopping the small boats will save lives and hit the criminal gangs. The flights to Rwanda need to take recently arrived illegals to act as a deterrent to others making a dangerous and illegal crossing.”

Two Berkshire MPs did not vote at all. Sir Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP for Reading West, and Theresa May the Conservative MP for Maidenhead had no vote recorded.

Other notable MPs who had no vote recorded were Suella Braverman, Grant Schapps and Jeremy Hunt. A total of 99 MPs had no vote recorded according to information posted on the Parliament UK website for the final vote on the matter, held around 10.20pm on April 22.

The government has argued that sending those who are caught entering illegally to Rwanda would act as a deterrent to people crossing the English Channel in small boats.

More than 200 people have died attempting to cross the channel from Europe.

Arguing against the policy on ITV,  shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The Rwanda scheme is an extortionately expensive gimmick and its not a serious plan to tackle the dangerous boat crossings that are both putting life at risk and undermining our border security.”

The policy is predicted to cost the taxpayer approximately £170,000 per person relocated.