Suella Braverman says amendments to the illegal migration bill will allow it to pass through parliament. Photo: Stéphane Rousseau/PA
More than 10,000 Channel Migrants to be spared automatic deportation to Rwanda under concessions designed to salvage Suella Braverman's flagship illegal migration legislation.
The Home Secretary refused from plans to apply the new powers of automatic detention and deportation to any migrant who arrived after March 7, when her illegal migration bill was introduced in Parliament.
Instead, the powers will not take effect until after the bill has passed all stages of parliamentary review and received royal assent, which ministers hope will be received later this summer.
Ministers wanted the bill to be retroactive as a deterrent to small boats in the spring and summer, and to prevent an influx of migrants seeking to exceed the bill's later deadline.
But 20 vote losses in the House of Lords forced the government to make five concessions to prevent further uprisings.
They are meant to soften criticism when the bill returns to the House of Commons on Tuesday, and to reduce the chance of a confrontation with peers that could mean further delay or even blocking of its consideration.
The change in date comes after a successful amendment by Lord Carlisle, a former independent reviewer of terrorism law, which blocked the retrospective application of powers of detention and deportation until March 7.
This means that 10,000 migrants who have crossed the English Channel since 7 March, can only be deported in accordance with the provisions of previous legislation.
Illegal arrival reports
This allows them to remain in the UK and apply for asylum, modern slavery or other claims here until any deportation.
The new law only allows such claims once they have been moved to a safe third country such as Rwanda or their home country.
In discussing Lord Carlisle's amendment last month, Lord Murray, the Home Secretary, warned that without retroactive laws “we run the risk of falling into the hands of organized criminals and smugglers of people trying to take advantage of this, with an increase in the number of illegal immigrants before the bill goes into effect.”
He added: “This is likely to increase these unnecessary and dangerous small boat crossings and could put even more pressure on not only our asylum system but also our health, housing, education and welfare services. .
“This risk will only grow as we get closer to royal assent and implementation.”
The government's concession will not extend to other parts of the legislation, where the March 7 date will still apply. These include a lifetime ban on return to the UK, settlement and citizenship, which will apply to anyone who arrived after 7 March if their asylum application is rejected and they are deported.
Ministers also complied with the demands the Conservatives, led by Tim Lawton, the former Education Secretary, on limiting the detention of children entering the UK illegally without parents or guardians.
The Home Office suggests that their unaccompanied children will only be detained for up to eight days. For those where their age is in dispute, it will be 28 days.
Another government amendment would also limit the time of detention of pregnant women to 72 hours.
However, ministers will seek the repeal of the Lords amendment, which frees victims of modern slavery in the UK. from deportation.
It is understood that Theresa May, the former prime minister who authored the Modern Slavery Act when she was Home Secretary, is considering whether to riot in the House of Commons when the amendment is put to a vote on Tuesday.
Parliamentary ping-pong.
After the amendments are considered by the Commons, the bill will be returned to the Lords for the so-called parliamentary “ping-pong” between the two houses until an agreement is reached.
If it is blocked by the Lords, ministers have signaled that they can use the Parliament Act to overturn the upper house's decision.
Ms Braverman said: “Today's amendments will help this important law to pass through parliament quickly, continuing to send a clear message that the exploitation of children and vulnerable people, used by criminals and smuggled across the English Channel, cannot continue.”
On Monday, it emerged that the Home Office was a senior The official said he was spending £500,000 a day on 5,000 empty hotel beds as a “buffer” for migrants crossing the English Channel with more migrants than expected.
Recent Comments