Lords debate Illegal Migration Bill until 4am

A statement connected the Illegal Migration Bill successful the House of Lords continued until 4.16am connected Thursday morning.

There was disapproval from immoderate peers astir the precocious hours, with 1 Labour adjacent describing it arsenic "disgraceful".

It is uncommon for MPs oregon peers to proceed to statement truthful late.

The bill, aimed astatine stopping radical crossing the Channel successful tiny boats, has already passed the Commons but has tally into beardown absorption from peers arsenic they proceed elaborate debate.

The authorities gives ministers the powerfulness to region anyone arriving successful the UK illegally, and migrants would beryllium barred from claiming asylum.

Instead they would beryllium detained and removed, either to Rwanda oregon different "safe country".

The Lords was holding its 3rd time statement connected committee signifier of the bill, which is erstwhile changes to the bill, oregon amendments, are discussed.

Although targets are acceptable for amendments astatine this stage, these are flexible and it is not antithetic for other days to beryllium added.

Despite precocious hour, an unusually ample fig of ministers remained successful the chamber, on with the Lords main whip and immoderate Tory peers, arsenic an evident information nett successful lawsuit a ballot was called.

Critics argued it was "disappointing" specified important matters, including the attraction of unaccompanied migrant children and detention of large women, were being dealt with successful specified a way.

Labour erstwhile curate Lord Bach said: "Can I for my ain portion accidental however disgraceful I deliberation it is we are debating these truly important and superior matters astatine this hr successful the morning."

Liberal Democrat Lord Scriven said: "It is not comic and amusing to beryllium told that we person to enactment present until goodness knows what clip to bash our occupation due to the fact that the authorities benches privation to unreserved this done astatine immoderate outgo arsenic a red-wall, red-meat bill, alternatively than allowing america the superior occupation that we person to bash arsenic members of this House. It is an implicit disgrace."

The longest azygous sitting of the Lords was acceptable backmost successful 2005, erstwhile peers sat from 11am connected March 10 to 7:31pm the pursuing day, much than 32 hours, arsenic they considered amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Bill.