IRC UK Statement on the House of Lords’ amendments to the “Illegal Migration” Bill

London, UK, July 6, 2023 —  Laura Kyrke-Smith, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee UK, says:  

“At every stage of the Lords’ scrutiny, peers have highlighted the immorality and impracticality of the “Illegal Migration” Bill. The sheer number of amendments voted through by Lords confirms that the legislation is fundamentally flawed.  

The Government’s own Economic Impact Assessment of the Bill revealed the taxpayer will pay £63,000 more to deport someone than to process their claim in the UK. The same assessment was unable to confirm whether the legislation will actually “stop the boats”. 

MPs will soon have a choice. They can force through an inhumane and unworkable Bill. Or they can listen to the evidence, press pause, and consider the many humane, viable and cost-effective alternatives from scaling up safe routes to processing asylum claims in the UK.”