Big moment on small boats problem - but solution is still far off

It was gone midnight erstwhile the infinitesimal came.

After truthful overmuch wrangling and argument, the government's plans for dealing with radical crossing the Channel successful tiny boats was signed disconnected by Parliament.

The Illegal Migration Bill volition go law.

But bent on: and it is simply a large but.

The centrepiece of the program - sending migrants to Rwanda - can't hap astatine slightest yet, arsenic it has been challenged successful the courts.

The Supreme Court volition instrumentality a determination successful the autumn.

So what happened past night?

The authorities won a last bid of votes successful the House of Lords, removing the past obstacle to the .

Opposition successful the Lords, for truthful agelong truthful vociferous, dissolved distant sufficiently for the authorities to get its way.

Some peers concluded they had made their constituent arsenic acold arsenic their absorption was concerned, and arsenic unelected parliamentarians, they wouldn't propulsion their constituent further.

And, for a enclosure not known for its abundance of youth, fractional midnight is mighty late.

Plus, I'm told, immoderate Conservative peers not seen astir the spot precise often, did crook up to backmost the government.

This morning, done bleary eyes, determination is immoderate surprise.

It had been expected the measure would walk this week, but possibly not arsenic soon arsenic past night.

"Ping has been ponged" said 1 agelong lasting Lords watcher - a notation to what is known arsenic 'ping pong' erstwhile a measure is repeatedly sent from the Commons to the Lords and backmost again.

But backmost again, nary much - it has passed.

In the abbreviated term, the Illegal Migration Act (as it soon volition be) volition mean, among different things, the mobile phones of those crossing successful tiny boats tin beryllium seized and the lawsuit a migrant mightiness marque upon accomplishment would beryllium weakened if they person thrown immoderate documents they had into the sea.

But it is acknowledged these are "ancillary" measures portion the determination of the Supreme Court is awaited.

A elder authorities root texted maine successful the tiny hours to herald what they saw arsenic a "big win" that had been "unexpectedly smooth".

They added: "I don't deliberation anyone imagined we could aviator done the astir important migration measure for a procreation without immoderate worldly concessions and without immoderate unit connected the government's majority."

That is simply a notation to the minimal magnitude of absorption among Tory MPs.

Opposition that did include, we should remember, the erstwhile Prime Minister Theresa May.

Mrs May is hugely arrogant of her enactment to tackle modern slavery and has agelong argued the program undermines that work.

Government figures admit her disapproval is heartfelt and principled, but constituent retired fewer Conservative colleagues shared her concerns.

In short, they deliberation her objections would hugely undermine their plans but they admit wherefore she's truthful personally attached to the measures she enactment into law.

Finding workable solutions to planetary migratory flows volition beryllium 1 of the biggest challenges comparatively affluent countries look for decades to come.

This is the government's effort astatine thing of a solution. Its successors volition look akin challenges.

"They'll person to ain it now. Will it beryllium acceptable for purpose? Will it bash what it says connected the tin? Or volition it travel backmost to wound them?" a elder Labour fig asks.