London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 07, 2026

Illegal Migration Bill passes as Tory rebellion defused

Illegal Migration Bill passes as Tory rebellion defused

Plans aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats have been approved by MPs, after the government defused a Tory backbench rebellion.

The Illegal Migration Bill cleared its final stages in the House of Commons by 289 votes to 230.

Around 20 Tory MPs wanted to require court approval to detain unaccompanied children longer than three days.

But they agreed not to push the issue to a vote, after ministers pledged to work with them on a "new timescale".

Ministers have yet to specify the limits in the bill itself.

The government has made a series of concessions to different sections of the Tory party, in order to head off rebellions during the bill's final stages in the Commons.

However, the bill is expected to run into opposition at its next stage in the House of Lords, where it could be heavily amended.

The bill, unveiled in March, is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to "stop" small boats crossing the English Channel.

It will place a legal duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, to Rwanda or another "safe" third country, taking legal precedence over someone's right to claim asylum.

This has prompted outrage from opposition parties and charities, which argue the bill is unworkable and could breach international law.

There has also been concern, including among Tory MPs, over new powers in the bill to detain people - including children - on the suspicion that they are liable for removal.

A group of rebel Tory MPs, led by Tim Loughton, tabled an amendment to place new limits on the circumstances in which unaccompanied children could be held.

But as the bill neared its final Commons passage, he agreed to withdraw it "on trust" after Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick pledged he would listen to concerns.

The government introduced amendments of its own, enabling it to set a unspecified limit on child detention in the future, with Mr Jenrick promising to work with MPs on designing a new limit.

However, the commitment was dismissed as vague by the SNP's Alison Thewliss, who added: "We do not trust them to do the right thing here."

Mr Loughton said any changes brought forward by the government in the Lords must include a maximum detention time for children within the bill.


Modern slavery


The government faced strong criticism from former Prime Minister Theresa May and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith over the potential impact of the bill on victims of modern slavery.

The bill would take away temporary protections against removal from the UK that are currently offered to suspected victims of modern slavery or human trafficking while their case is considered.

The two senior Tories had tabled an amendment, which would have exempted people who have suffered exploitation in the UK from being deported, but they did not force a vote on it.

Speaking in the Commons, Mrs May said the current version of the bill would mean "more people will stay enslaved and in exploitation", by giving traffickers "another weapon" to stop victims going to the police.

To get the bill through, ministers have also promised to consult on new safe and legal routes for migrants, after pressure on the issue from backbenchers.

Under a new amendment, it has committed to publishing a report on new routes within six months of the bill becoming law.

It has also addressed concerns from the Tory right with a separate amendment giving UK minsters more leeway to ignore European court rulings.

However, even with the government's concessions, the bill is still expected to face significant opposition when it proceeds to the Lords in the coming months.

Labour's shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the bill was an "expensive and unworkable, headline-chasing gimmick".

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said it was "nothing more than half-baked legislation that is immoral, ineffective and incredibly costly for the taxpayer".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Second Brexit Referendum in Review of UK-EU Relations
EY Warns UK Fiscal Headroom Has Halved to £11 Billion Ahead of Autumn Budget
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
×