Theresa May says asylum plan won't solve illegal migration issue

Government plans to tackle tiny vessel crossings volition not lick the contented of amerciable migration, erstwhile Prime Minister Theresa May has warned.

Under the proposals, modern slavery victims would beryllium "collateral damage" and denied support, she told MPs.

Several different Tories besides called for changes to the Illegal Migration Bill.

However it passed its archetypal Commons hurdle, with the location caput saying it was "a humane attempt" to interruption the inducement for people-smuggling gangs.

Suella Braverman said the fig of radical crossing the Channel had "overwhelmed our asylum system" and "our capableness to assistance radical is not unlimited".

The caller legislation, announced past week, aims to halt migrants making the unsafe travel to the UK successful tiny boats - which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made 1 of his 5 cardinal priorities.

Under the plans, anyone recovered to person entered the state illegally would beryllium removed from the UK wrong 28 days, and besides beryllium blocked from returning oregon claiming British citizenship successful future. They would either beryllium returned to their location country, oregon different "safe 3rd country" similar Rwanda.

The measure passed its archetypal hurdle successful the Commons by 312 votes to 250, with the bulk of Tory MPs voting for the plans.

However, critics accidental the proposals interruption planetary instrumentality and they are apt to look absorption successful the House of Lords, arsenic good arsenic ineligible challenges successful the courts.

During a statement connected the measure successful the Commons, Mrs May told MPs that "whenever you adjacent a route, the migrants and the radical smugglers find different way, and anybody who thinks that this measure volition woody with the contented of amerciable migration erstwhile and for each is wrong".

She raised respective concerns astir the projected legislation, including that anyone fleeing persecution who came to the UK via an amerciable way would look a "blanket dismissal".

"By definition, idiosyncratic fleeing for their beingness volition much often than not beryllium incapable to entree a ineligible route," she said.

Mrs May besides highlighted the imaginable interaction of the measure connected victims of modern slavery, saying "as it presently stands we are shutting the doorway connected victims portion being trafficked into slavery present successful the UK".

"If they travel present illegally they volition not beryllium supported to flight their slavery," she added.

The erstwhile location caput said No 10 had offered to sermon her concerns astir the measure and she hoped "we tin find immoderate resolution".

Another elder Conservative MP, Sir Robert Buckland, said helium had "great concern" astir a clause of the measure which could let children to beryllium detained.

The erstwhile justness caput besides warned that the "tone" utilized by immoderate members of his enactment was "not appropriate" and "we person to bash better".

While helium said helium would ballot for the bill, Tory MP Simon Hoare said helium wanted to spot changes successful narration to women who are trafficked and children.

Other Tories, including Chris Skidmore, said they could not enactment the bill.

The erstwhile curate wrote connected Twitter: "I americium not prepared to interruption planetary instrumentality oregon the quality rights conventions that the UK has had a arrogant past of playing a starring relation successful establishing."

And Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chairwoman of the Commons women and equalities committee, said she had "absolute horror" astatine the imaginable of the bill.

"I americium profoundly troubled astatine the imaginable of a argumentation which seeks to criminalise children, large women, families and region them to Rwanda," the erstwhile migration curate told Times Radio.

However, different Conservative MPs were supportive of the government's approach.

Former curate Sir John Hayes said radical wanted "tough action" connected amerciable immigration.

"Of people Britain should supply a harmless haven for radical successful need, successful genuine need," helium said. "But it is simply a deceit to unreal the asylum strategy is not being gamed and the British radical taken for a ride."

Marco Longhi, who represents Dudley North, said the measure would enactment arsenic a deterrent for radical undertaking "very perilous journeys".

Labour voted against the bill, describing it arsenic "a con that makes the chaos worse".

Shadow location caput Yvette Cooper said "it won't halt the transgression gangs oregon unsafe crossings" but "it volition rip up our long-standing committedness to planetary law", arsenic good arsenic "lock up children" and "remove enactment and harmless refuges from women who person been trafficked".

The SNP besides opposed the bill, saying determination was nary impervious it would enactment and it would "create an underclass of radical stuck successful migration limbo indefinitely".

Defending the plans, Ms Braverman said unaccompanied children would lone beryllium removed from the UK nether constricted circumstances, specified arsenic for the purposes of household reunion.

"Otherwise, they volition beryllium provided with the indispensable enactment successful the UK until they scope 18," she told MPs.

Responding to concerns astir families and large women, she said "we indispensable not make incentives for the smugglers to absorption connected radical with peculiar characteristics by signposting exemptions for removal".

Closing the debate, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said the authorities was "committed to tackling the heinous transgression of modern slavery and supporting victims".

"It's for that crushed that we privation to forestall maltreatment [of the system]," helium added.