Rishi Sunak’s legislation aimed at cracking down on asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats has cleared the Commons and now moves to the Lords.
The Illegal Migration Bill, an attempt to detain and deport small boat migrants, has passed at the third reading staged after MPs voted in favour by 289 votes to 230 – a majority of 59.
It came despite Theresa May’s warning that the bill would mean more people in Britain facing modern slavery – with the former Tory PM condemning government attempts to address the issue as a “slap in the face”.
Temporary protection against removal from the UK is currently given to suspected victims of modern slavery or human trafficking – but Ms Braverman’s bill removes this protection for those judged to have entered the UK illegally.
Joining former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith in criticising the lack of protections, Ms May told the Commons: “Far from making the bill provisions better for the victims of modern slavery, it makes it worse.”
“The government will be ensuring that more people will stay enslaved … because it will give the slavedrivers, it will give the traffickers, another weapon to hold people in that slavery.”
Meanwhile, former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox questioned amendments added to the bill which allows home secretary Suella Braverman to override European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) injunctions blocking deportations.
The bill was further toughened to ignore “rule 39” injunctions from Strasbourg after pressure from right-wing Tory rebels close to Ms Braverman. Sir Geoffrey warned that it would be “a deliberate breach of our obligations”.
Despite enduring a tough time in the Commons, the government succeeded in persuading Tory moderates to back down on rebellions over child detention and the opening up of new safe and legal routes for refugees.
Tory rebel leader Tim Loughton confirmed he would not put a series of amendments to a vote after assurances from ministers that there would be strict limitations on the detention of unaccompanied children arriving in small boats.
“We are taking the assurances from the minister on trust,” said Mr Loughton. “We will not continue without a lack of detail when this Bill gets to the Lords, but for the moment we are not going to force it to a vote – because I trust the migration minister to do the right thing before this bill finalises its stages.”
The government promised to publish a report on setting up additional safe and legal asylum routes within six months of the bill becoming law.
The Commons rejected a Labour amendment aimed at placing a duty on the government to remove terrorists who have made an unauthorised journey to the UK. MPs voted 284 to 219, majority 65, to reject the amendment.
MPs also rejected an SNP amendment to the bill that would have required ministers to interpret the act in accordance with the UK’s obligations to several international treaties.
An amendment from Labour’s former minister Dame Diana Johnson that would have prevented immigration officers from detaining unaccompanied children, pregnant women and families with dependent children was also rejected.
