Rishi Sunak’s plan to tackle the Channel crossing crisis suffered a major blow in the House of Lords last night.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, backed the standoff after warning against immigration being used as a “wedge issue to divide things”.
Members of the House of Lords piled the pressure on Sunak’s Government by demanding further changes to the Illegal Migration Bill.
The changes included limits to the detention of children, modern slavery protections and the provision of safe and legal routes for refugees to the United Kingdom.
Despite a Tory rebellion led by ex-Prime Minister Theresa May, Conservative MPs have already managed to overturn amendments tabled by the House of Lords.
The Home Office proposed ditching a move to backdate removals to March as it offered several concessions on Monday.
The House of Lords is continuing to put pressure on Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman to agree to more concessions.
The Archbishop of Canterbury called on the Government to back all of the Lords’ amendments, including a decade-long strategy for collaborating internationally on refugees and human trafficking.
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Welby said: “The issue of immigration and asylum … is an extraordinarily divisive one.
“This is a massive international issue on a generational basis and it needs profound thinking on a long-term basis in order to tackle it.
“Legislation and strategy must be fitted to the problem, not the problem to the legislation. It’s not how it works.”
The 67-year-old was supported by Labour’s Lord Blunkett.
The former Home Secretary said: “If ever we needed a long-term strategy of 10 years rather than 10 months and not a strategy that’s geared to a general election, but to solving a problem and to dealing with it internationally and on a long-term basis, we need it now.”
Lord Christopher Bellamy, who has served as a Junior Minister under the last three Prime Ministers, responded: “The amendment is not necessary because the government is well aware of the need to develop a strategy and to cooperate with international partners.”
The Prime Minister identified stopping illegal immigrants from crossing the Channel as one of his five priorities after entering Number 10.
Sunak was forced to defend his record over the weekend when more than 1,000 people made the perilous 21-mile journey.
He also acknowledged the number will “increase over the summer” but stressed his “overall strategy is the right one”.
The total number of people who have crossed the Channel so far in 2023 has already exceeded 12,000.
from GB News https://ift.tt/OTtd51i
Rishi Sunak’s plan to tackle the Channel crossing crisis suffered a major blow in the House of Lords last night.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, backed the standoff after warning against immigration being used as a “wedge issue to divide things”.
Members of the House of Lords piled the pressure on Sunak’s Government by demanding further changes to the Illegal Migration Bill.
The changes included limits to the detention of children, modern slavery protections and the provision of safe and legal routes for refugees to the United Kingdom.
Despite a Tory rebellion led by ex-Prime Minister Theresa May, Conservative MPs have already managed to overturn amendments tabled by the House of Lords.
The Home Office proposed ditching a move to backdate removals to March as it offered several concessions on Monday.
The House of Lords is continuing to put pressure on Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman to agree to more concessions.
The Archbishop of Canterbury called on the Government to back all of the Lords’ amendments, including a decade-long strategy for collaborating internationally on refugees and human trafficking.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:- Braverman to let 10,000 asylum seekers remain to pass new law
- Rishi Sunak's 'Stop the Boats' pledge in tatters after surge in Channel crossings
- More than 1,000 people cross Channel in small boats in just two days
Welby said: “The issue of immigration and asylum … is an extraordinarily divisive one.
“This is a massive international issue on a generational basis and it needs profound thinking on a long-term basis in order to tackle it.
“Legislation and strategy must be fitted to the problem, not the problem to the legislation. It’s not how it works.”
The 67-year-old was supported by Labour’s Lord Blunkett.
The former Home Secretary said: “If ever we needed a long-term strategy of 10 years rather than 10 months and not a strategy that’s geared to a general election, but to solving a problem and to dealing with it internationally and on a long-term basis, we need it now.”
Lord Christopher Bellamy, who has served as a Junior Minister under the last three Prime Ministers, responded: “The amendment is not necessary because the government is well aware of the need to develop a strategy and to cooperate with international partners.”
The Prime Minister identified stopping illegal immigrants from crossing the Channel as one of his five priorities after entering Number 10.
Sunak was forced to defend his record over the weekend when more than 1,000 people made the perilous 21-mile journey.
He also acknowledged the number will “increase over the summer” but stressed his “overall strategy is the right one”.
The total number of people who have crossed the Channel so far in 2023 has already exceeded 12,000.
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