The UK’s Illegal Migration Bill is set to become law as of Tuesday, with the House of Lords backing down on a series of amendments. The bill provides for the deportation of those who arrive on the UK’s shores ‘illegally.’ Under the bill, anyone who arrives in the UK illegally will be detained and promptly removed either to their home country or to a safe country where any asylum claim will be considered (such as Rwanda, which is currently subject to a legal challenge).
The Lords’ proposed amendments included provisions that the bill is to be interpreted in line with international agreements such as the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The Commons rejected those provisions, contending that the bill does not contravene those agreements. The Lords also backed down on an amendment that would have prevented LGBT people from being returned to certain countries after the Commons said that affected persons can petition for review if they are at risk of serious harm.
The bill, which started its journey through Parliament in March of this year, has now gone through its readings in the Commons, reports stages, and considerations of amendments by both the Commons and the Lords. It will shortly seek Royal Assent, the last step prior to becoming law.
The House of Lords had been putting up sustained opposition, with five of the original 20 sets of amendments by the House of Lords being accepted by the House of Commons.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who sits in the House of Lords, withdrew his objections to the bill paving the way for it to become law saying he agreed the government needs to stop the small boats but “fail[s] to see how this (the bill) stops ‘small boat crossings’ and said, “I have not heard anything to convince me.”
The government states on its website that the bill aims to put a stop to illegal migration into the UK by removing the incentive to make dangerous small boat crossings. The bill will also “speed up the removal of those with no right to be here” and prevent “people who come to the UK through illegal and dangerous journeys from misusing modern slavery safeguards to block their removal,” according to the government.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Slavery has condemned the bill’s passage, calling into question the UK ‘s commitment and leadership in tackling slavery practices globally. Earlier, the Special Rapporteur on Slavery, the Special Rapporteur on Migrants and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a report on “the impact [the Bill] would have on the human rights of migrants, including those in need of international protection.”
International organisations have also been swift to condemn the Bill, including UK Human Rights Organisation Liberty as well as senior Conservative MPs, such as former Prime Minister Theresa May. There have also been concerns that the bill breaches international law.
