The Illegal Migration Bill, proposed by Rishi Sunak, has finally passed its final parliamentary stage, marking a rare victory for the UK prime minister's efforts to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country by boat. The government secured a series of votes in the House of Lords, effectively rejecting amendments put forward by some members of the upper chamber. These amendments aimed to provide safeguards for victims of modern slavery and limit child detention. As a result, the bill is expected to receive Royal Assent this week, officially becoming law.
While the passage of the bill is undoubtedly a win for Sunak, it remains uncertain how effective the legislation will be in immediately curbing small boat crossings. The bill obliges the government to detain and remove individuals who cross the English Channel in small boats, but it does not offer immediate solutions to prevent further crossings. The government has highlighted that the bill is intended to act as a deterrent, alongside its efforts to deport migrants to Rwanda. However, the deportation program has faced legal challenges, delaying any potential implementation.
Max Blain, Sunak's spokesman, stated that certain aspects of the bill can be put into action without the Rwanda partnership. However, he emphasized that both tools are necessary to effectively tackle the issue of boat crossings. Until the legal challenges surrounding the deportation program are resolved, the bill's full implementation will not be feasible. Blain reiterated the importance of having both the Rwandan migration partnership and the new law to achieve a strong deterrent effect.
Although Sunak initially pledged to "stop small boats" with the introduction of this law, the reality is that the government has yet to achieve this goal. Despite the progress of the legislation through the parliamentary process, thousands of migrants have continued to make the perilous crossing. Over 13,000 people have made the journey so far this year, with more than 3,000 in June alone. Additionally, there is no clear strategy from the government on how to deal with the mounting backlog of asylum cases, which has surpassed 130,000.
In a separate development, the government is preparing to house migrants who have arrived by small boat on the Bibby Stockholm, a barge located in Portland, southern England. The necessary inspections are underway, and the first group of migrants is expected to be relocated to the vessel later this month.