Asylum bill survives amendment plea

The government’s asylum bill received its second reading in the
House of Commons last month, despite attempts to change it.

Labour MP Hilton Dawson called on members to vote against the
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Bill in a
reasoned amendment, claiming measures within it undermined the
government’s principle that every child mattered.

Clause 7 of the bill proposes to remove support from families of
failed asylum seekers to encourage them to leave the UK
voluntarily.

But Dawson insisted the basic means of sustenance should never be
removed from children. He said the clause would breach the Children
Act 1989 and articles 3 and 9 of the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child.

He said members who voted for a bill that contained clause 7 would
be introducing a measure “that will mean that children in this
country will go hungry”.

The amendment was defeated. Home Office minister Beverley Hughes
said she did not believe that most asylum-seeking parents would
want to be separated from their children if there was an
alternative.

The bill will begin its committee stage this week.