UK lower house passes illegal migration bill

The legislation targeting illegal migrant crossings was approved by the British lower house of Parliament this week. The passage of the legislation follows several amendments accepted by the government by several conservatives.

The new law, which would bar the entry of migrants in small boats and prevent them from claiming asylum and facing detention or deportation, was passed by the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday following several amendments made to the legislation by several Conservatives. The passage of the law also comes as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping illegal migration one of his top priorities.

The House of Commons passed the third reading of the bill by 289-230. The legislation will now be passed to the House of Lords, where it may be amended or delayed.

“Illegal migration undermines the integrity of our immigration system,” said British immigration minister Robert Jenrick ahead of the vote. “That’s why we want to stop the boats and secure our borders and this bill is dedicated to that goal.”

The government faced several amendments to the bill that would appease several lawmakers. The amendments included clarifying the limited circumstances where unaccompanied minors could be deported and a commitment to establish “safe and legal routes” for asylum seekers to reach the United Kingdom.

However, other amendments tightened the legislation, which would make it harder for those who are deported to seek a waiver of their ban on re-entry or gaining British citizenship, as well as limiting the ability of individuals to delay their removal to a third country citing the risk of “serious and irreversible harm.”

Two other amendments proposed by Conservative lawmakers were withdrawn after the government said it would look to do more on handling the issues raised through such amendments. One of which was to remove the power to deport children before they turn 18 and one to exempt victims of unlawful exploitation in the UK from removal.

The legislation is currently being challenged in the courts. Lawyers representing a group of asylum seekers have said that the deal the UK has with Rwanda is not lawful due to the East African nation not being a safe country. One of the lawyers told the UK appeals court that Rwanda is an authoritarian, one-party country that did not tolerate opposition and attacked political opponents.