Theresa May slams Illegal Migration Bill for permitting ‘extra slave drivers to earn a living out of human distress’

Theresa May has attacked the federal government’s Illegal Migration Bill, saying it might “enable more slave drivers to… make money out of human misery” and “consign more people to slavery”.

The former prime minister, who has lengthy campaigned on tackling trendy slavery within the UK, stated ministers wished to make use of the brand new laws to “stop the boats” crossing the English Channel.

But in a passionate speech within the Commons, she warned the invoice wanted to alter or would result in victims getting no assist – and perpetrators getting away with their crimes.

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MPs have been debating – and are actually voting on – proposed amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill made by friends after 20 defeats have been inflicted on the laws within the House of Lords.

The invoice itself goals for the “swift detention and removal” of individuals arriving within the UK illegally, sending them again to their nation of origin or a 3rd nation – like Rwanda.

But friends had quite a lot of points with the laws – particularly across the remedy of ladies, kids, individuals from the LGBT+ neighborhood, and victims of recent slavery – and despatched again quite a lot of adjustments for the Commons to have a look at.

The authorities introduced its personal contemporary amendments on Monday in an try to cease MPs supporting the Lords, together with a promise that new guidelines on eradicating individuals wouldn’t be utilized retrospectively – solely after the invoice turns into legislation.

They additionally decreased the time kids might be detained for – eight days as an alternative of the proposed 28 – and pledged to maintain the present rule on detaining pregnant girls for a most of 72 hours.

But the concessions haven’t gone far sufficient for some senior backbenchers, and have led to terse exchanges within the Commons from the federal government’s personal benches.

Mrs May welcomed a few of the adjustments introduced ahead by the Home Office, “whatever the motivation”, however added: “I want support to continue for the victims of modern slavery in the UK after commencement of the bill.”

She pointed to modification 56 from the Lords, which seeks to make sure victims is not going to be detained and faraway from the UK if they’ve been trendy slaves, and urged the federal government to assist it.

“This bill has been marketed as a ‘stop the boats’ bill,” she stated. “We all want to stop the boats, nobody wants to see people risking their lives in small boats across the Channel.

“But this invoice is not only written to cease the boats. It covers all unlawful migration. And its unwritten subtext is the ‘cease sure victims’ claims of recent slavery’ invoice, not cease false claims of recent slavery, however cease all claims full cease, and that’s the place I depart from the federal government.”

The former PM gave the hypothetical situation of a woman “persuaded” by a man to come to the country “for a fantastic job and great life collectively”, ending up trafficked into prostitution and not even knowing the papers he used to get her in were illegal.

“Under this invoice, she would get no assist,” said Mrs May. “The authorities’s response can be, ‘we do not care that you have been in slavery within the UK, we do not care that you’ve been in a residing hell, we do not care that you’ve been the sufferer of crime.

“‘We do care that you came here illegally, even though you probably didn’t know it, so we are going to detain you and send you home, even if it is into the arms of the very people who trafficked you here in the first place, or we want to send you to Rwanda’.”

Mrs May additionally warned the invoice “ties the hands of the police and it undoes the good work of the Modern Slavery Act”, as it might cease victims offering proof to catch the perpetrators.

“It will enable more slave drivers to operate and make money out of human misery,” stated the influential MP. “It will consign more people to slavery. No doubt about it, I think if [the Lord’s amendment] is overthrown, that will be the impact.”

MPs have begun voting on the amendments from each friends and the federal government and can proceed all through the night, earlier than the invoice heads again to the Lords for one more spherical of scrutiny.

And Mrs May made clear the place she stood.

“The government wants to deny certain victims of modern slavery support. It will deeply damage the operation of the Modern Slavery Act,” she added.

“The alternative is to let [the Lord’s amendment] stand. If the government persists in disagreeing… then I will have to persist in disagreeing with the government.”