Illegal Migration Bill

Lord Hannay of Chiswick Excerpts

Committee stage
Wednesday 14th June 2023 Lords Chamber

I turn now to Amendment 137. As my noble friend Lord Murray set out at the Dispatch Box earlier this week, the measures in this Bill are compatible with the Windsor Framework. In answer to the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, I repeat that the Government take all their international obligations, including the European Convention on Human Rights, extremely seriously and judges that nothing in the Bill requires the Government to breach their obligations. I therefore contend to the Committee that the amendment is unnecessary.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

I am most grateful for what the noble and learned Lord has said, but he may have overlooked that we had a debate, at a much earlier stage, on the way in which the Government use the word “require”. The Minister says that nothing in the Bill requires the Government to take action that would be contrary to our obligations under the TCA. He seems to be overlooking—the use of the word “require” perhaps deliberately overlooks the fact—that the Bill empowers the Government to take action which, if taken, would bring us into conflict with our obligations under the TCA. Perhaps he could answer that point.

[Baroness Ludford (LD)]

Could the Minister confirm whether he agrees with the analysis of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, from which I cited extracts, on the various EU asylum directives that would continue to apply in Northern Ireland? I am afraid I have not checked what the noble Lord, Lord Murray, said in response to the noble Lord, Lord Morrow, the other day, but the trafficking directive and the victims directive also apply in Northern Ireland. What are the Government doing to make sure that all those directives are going to be respected in practice in Northern Ireland?