London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 17, 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
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
×