The Bishop of Southwark has questioned whether channel-crossing migrants with serious health conditions should be detained, as the Lords debated the government’s Illegal Migration Bill.
Speaking in the House of Lords, The Rt Rev. the Lord Bishop of Southwark Christopher Chessun said he feared there was “no longer a clear presumption that the vulnerable will not be detained”.
The Bishop said his piece at around 2am this morning (June 8) – roughly eleven hours into a marathon session.
The Lords were debating the government’s controversial law aiming to stop small boat channel crossings.
The legislation, if passed in its current form, would give the government the power to detain illegal migrants, and deport them to Rwanda or another ‘safe’ country.
Christopher Chessun said: “Does the government agree… that those whose care and support needs make it particularly likely that they will suffer disproportionate detriment from being detained, will generally be considered unsuitable for detention? This bill suggests that the answer is no.”
Currently, Home Office policy means it does not routinely detain highly vulnerable migrants – including those with pre-existing mental illnesses and survivors of torture.
One of the changes contained in the bill is preventing migrants from applying for immigration bail in the first 28 days of their arrival.
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Some, like the bishop, fear migrants with underlying health conditions would suffer while incarcerated under the new bill.
The bill is currently in the committee stage meaning the House of Lords will suggest changes and send it back to MPs to discuss.
However, MPs can ultimately override Lords’ amendments if they wish.
The Lord’s session dragged on from 3pm until 4am – reportedly because many Conservative ministers remained in the chamber.
Some have said this was an attempt to force through the government’s bill as quickly as possible.
Liberal Democrat Lord Scriven said: “It is ironic that we are talking about detention when the Government frontbench is trying to detain us here.”
