Recent reports indicate that Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is expected to make a rare intervention in the House of Lords, expressing his condemnation of the UK’s Illegal Migration Bill. The proposed legislation aims to detain and deport individuals who arrive in the UK through small boats. The Archbishop’s anticipated rebuke of the government’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers will mark his second significant address on the topic.
Government Ministers Urge Peers to Support the Bill
As the Illegal Migration Bill heads to the second reading in the House of Lords, Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk have penned a joint article urging peers to support the UK government’s migration policies. In their article for Times Red Box, the two Cabinet ministers call for careful consideration of the Bill, emphasizing that it has been designed to meet the “humane and fair” will of the British people.
Liberal Democrat Lord Paddick Proposes Motion to Halt Bill
In an effort to halt the Illegal Migration Bill in its tracks, Liberal Democrat Lord Paddick has proposed a fatal motion during the legislation’s first hurdle in the House of Lords. The motion argues that the proposed legislation violates international law commitments, allows ministers to disregard judges’ instructions, undermines the UK’s tradition of providing refuge to refugees, and fails to address the backlog of asylum cases and people smuggling gangs.
Green Party Peers Support Fatal Motion
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, one of two Green Party peers supporting the fatal motion, has declared the Bill to be illegal, citing its violation of international law as a reason to oppose it. Lady Jones has also criticized the Labour party’s failure to oppose the legislation outright, calling on the opposition to step up to save democracy.
Bill Includes Provision Limiting ECHR’s Ability to Prevent Deportation
The Illegal Migration Bill includes provisions that would limit the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from intervening in the deportation of asylum seekers. The clampdown has been prompted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s vow to “stop the boats” ferrying migrants across the English Channel. To cope with the increasing numbers, the UK government has proposed the use of disused military camps and a barge as accommodation centres.
Critics Argue Reforms Break International Law and Endanger Modern Slavery Protections
Critics of the flagship immigration reforms have argued that they violate international law and threaten modern slavery protections. Archbishop Welby has previously warned against harmful rhetoric that stigmatizes migrants and asylum seekers, instead advocating for a system based on “compassion, justice, and co-operation across frontiers.”
Labour Refuses to Support Fatal Motion
Despite the blocking motion proposed by Lord Paddick, the main opposition Labour party has refused to support it, citing concerns that the government could pass the Bill through Parliament Act in the next King’s Speech, limiting any opportunity for amendment by peers. Calling the move irresponsible, the Labour source argues that it is not a viable way to deal with legislation that has already passed through the elected House.
Archbishop’s Previous Warnings Against “Harmful Rhetoric”
Archbishop Welby’s condemnation of the UK’s Illegal Migration Bill is not the first instance of his speaking out against the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. In a previous address to the Lords, the Archbishop warned against “harmful rhetoric” that casts those arriving in the UK as “invaders,” calling for a more compassionate and just system based on co-operation across borders.
