After a busy few hours in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, we're closing our live coverage for now.
The Lords will resume their debate on the government's controversial Illegal Migration Bill later. Our Politics team will be following - you can read their report on the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments here.
Want to learn more about the bill itself? Head here:
Today's page was written by Adam Durbin, Alys Davies, Aoife Walsh, Sam Hancock, Ece Goksedef, Emily McGarvey, Charley Adams amd Sam Francis. It was edited by Sarah Fowler, Dulcie Lee and Heather Sharp.
Lords debate migration bill: What's been happening?
Video content
Video caption: Lords: Archbishop brands migration bill 'isolationist'Lords: Archbishop brands migration bill 'isolationist'
The House of Lords has been debating the Illegal Migration Bill - a key part of Rishi Sunak's plan to "stop" small boats crossing the English Channel. Here are some of the key developments so far:
The Archbishop of Canterbury attacked the government's migration plans, saying they risked "great damage" to the UK's reputation
Justin Welby said the bill would not stop small boat crossings, and it failed in "our moral responsibility" towards refugees
Speaking on BBC radio, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick urged peers to back it and said the archbishop was "wrong" in his criticism
Conservative Lord Forsyth spoke for the bill, saying he has "yet to hear" a solution to stop boat crossings from critics of the bill
Lord Coaker, Labour's home affairs minister in the Lords, said the party would do "all we can to change this bill"
A motion by proposed by Lib Dem peer Lord Paddick to kill the bill looks unlikely to pass - but fellow Lib Dem Lord Scriven said he would back it and the bill should be “placed into the dustbin of history”
What happened at PMQs today?
Video content
Video caption: PMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council taxPMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council tax
We'll be closing our live coverage soon - we've brought you both Prime Minister's Questions and the debate in the House of Lords on the government's Illegal Migration Bill.
PMQs covered lots of ground - coming hot on the heels of last week's local elections, as well as the Coronation and subsequent row over protest arrests.
Here are a few of the key moments:
After the Conservative's lost more than 1,000 councillors at last week's local election, Labour leader Keir Starmer said says the entire country has "rejected" the government
PM Rishi Sunak hit back saying Starmer has broken every promise he was elected on
On the cost-of-living crisis, Starmer said Labour would freeze council tax bills but Sunak insisted the Tories are helping with cost-of-living measures
Speaking after the Met Police expressed regret over the arrest of six anti-monarchy protestors during the Coronation, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said protesting was a "fundamental right"
Sunak thanked the police for their work during the Coronation and said police should have powers to protect the public from serious disruption
What amendments have already been made?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
A bit more background on the Illegal Migration Bill bill - which has been controversial from the outset.
It is being discussed in the House of Lords today, after it was passed through the House of Commons last month.
This followed pressure from Tory MPs and campaigners for changes to the controversial bill - and some changes were made:
A promise to consult on new safe and legal routes for migrants - under a new amendment, the government committed to publishing a report on new routes within six months of the bill becoming law
An amendment gives ministers more leeway to ignore European court rulings attempting to block migrant deportations from the UK
Some Tory MPs wanted to require court approval for unaccompanied children to be detained for longer than three days - ministers pledged to work with them on a "new timescale"
What's being said in support of the Illegal Migration Bill?
As we've been reporting, there has been a lot of criticism of the bill from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But several peers - mostly from the Conservative benches - have been speaking in support of it.
Michael Forsyth, the Conservative former Scotland secretary, backed the comments of his old cabinet colleague Michael Howard - who spoke earlier in the debate.
Lord Forsyth said “something needs to be done - and this is something, which is an alternative
to doing nothing" - which he said was the position of those opposing the bill.
The author Lord Dobbs said while he finds the bill "in
many ways distasteful” it is the “moral obligation” of politicians to stop small
boat crossings. This bill “aims at finding a better means of fighting the
modern slavers and people smugglers” to save human lives, the Conservative peer adds.
Former supreme court judge, Lord Brown of
Eaton-under-Heywood, calls on peers to “harden their hearts” and support the
bill in order to “stop the boats” and “limit the overall number” of immigrants
coming to the UK.
The crossbench peer argues that global famine and conflict
will only drive-up immigration in the coming years and the UK must “find its
own solution” for illegal migration soon.
Another crossbench peer, the founder of Migration Watch Lord
Green of Deddington, backed the Bill, which he says is a small part of the
fight against large scale migration. A “real reduction in wider migration is
now essential to preserve the country that many of us love”, he says.
Children should be protected in migration bill - Bishop
As the House of Lords continues its lunch break, we'll just recap a few more comments from today's debate on the Illegal Migration Bill.
The Bishop of Durham added his voice to criticism from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby earlier, warning the bill could potentially lead to an "unjustified, intolerable level of harm".
The Rt Rev Paul Butler said children and pregnant women would be viewed "first and foremost as individuals subject to immigration control, not as an innocent child or a vulnerable mother due to give birth".
Children need the highest level of safeguarding, he told peers, also calling for more details from the government on how vulnerable people would be protected.
Butler quoted words of Jesus about children from the Biblen, and urged ministers to ensure migrant children would not be kept in detention for long periods of time.
Lords amendments likely on migration bill
David Wallace Lockhart
Political correspondent
Though there's likely to be plenty of criticism from peers as this bill goes through the Lords, it looks like a Lib Dem motion to have it thrown out will fail.
Other opposition figures point out this won't stop the bill becoming law, but would deprive peers of the opportunity to make amendments.
Speaking of amendments, that's where we're likely to see the House of Lords try and wield its influence. The Archbishop himself made it clear that he's got some plans of his own to try and change the legislation.
Amendments around safe and legal routes, modern slavery and the treatment of unaccompanied children are likely to crop up as the bill proceeds.
But the message from the government was made clear by the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary in an article for The Times this morning. They said the Lords have every right to scrutinise legislation, but that "stopping the boats" represents "the will of the British people", suggesting that fundamental changes from peers will not be looked on too kindly.
Remember, MPs can always undo changes from the House of Lords, though it does slow down the legislative process.
What is the Illegal Migration Bill?
The House of Lords is taking a lunch break just now, so let's take a look at the details of the bill they are discussing today.
The Illegal Migration Bill is part of the government's plan to tackle small boat crossings across the English Channel after record numbers arrived in the UK this way in 2022.
Under the bill:
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has a duty to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country
Migrants would not be granted bail or be able to seek judicial review for the first 28 days of detention
Under-18s, those medically unfit to fly or at risk of serious harm in the country they are being removed to would be able to delay departure
People removed from the UK would be blocked from returning, or seeking British citizenship in future
There is a cap on the number of refugees the UK will settle through "safe and legal routes"
BBCCopyright: BBC
The law, which has already been approved by MPs, will apply retrospectively, with anyone arriving illegally from Tuesday 7 March at risk of deportation.
It has prompted outrage from opposition parties and charities, which argue the bill is unworkable and could breach international law.
Peer claims refugee mother would have been turned away
UK ParliamentCopyright: UK Parliament
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Kramer has claimed her mother - an orthodox Jewish refugee from the Nazis - would have been "sent to Rwanda as an undesirable" by this government.
Baroness Kramer's mother was smuggled into the UK by the RAF - she had "not chosen an official route", she tells the House of Lords.
She asks for the government to back up claims by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick that “uncontrolled illegal migration” threatened to “cannibalise” the UK’s compassion.
"I argue for the Britain we saw this weekend at the Coronation. Not
threatened by diversity but energised by it," she added.
Immigration minister: Archbishop 'wrong' on bill
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
The immigration minister - Robert Jenrick - has said the Archbishop of Canterbury is "wrong" in his criticisms of the Illegal Immigration Bill.
Jenrick told the BBC: "There is nothing moral about allowing the pernicious trade of people smugglers to continue."
He said the plan would damage the UK and failed a "moral responsibility".
But Jenrick said the bill was the "only way" to stop small boat crossings.
He said the government's critics were backing open borders, offering no "viable alternatives".
Jenrick urges the Lords to back the plan, telling the BBC's World at One: "I hope in the end they will support the bill" as the "only way" to "get a grip of the issue".
'Dustbin of history' or 'best option available'?
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV
Lord Dubs accused the government of using language to make public opinion "hostile to refugees"Image caption: Lord Dubs accused the government of using language to make public opinion "hostile to refugees"
During Prime Minister's Questions, peers have been attacking the Illegal Migration Bill in the House
of Lords.
Labour peer Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis on the Kindertransport, accused
government ministers of using language “intended to inflame public opinion
and make public opinion hostile to refugees”.
Quoting the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, he says the bill is a “clear breach” of the UK’s international
responsibilities.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Scriven said he will back the
motion to kill the bill in the House of Lords, arguing the bill should be “placed
into the dustbin of history”.
We also heard from Baroness Prashar - a non-affiliated peer, known as a crossbencher in the House of Lords - who said the bill “is at odds with the values of this country”.
Former home secretary Michael Howard was a rare supportive voice.
Lord Howard of Lympne, as he is now known, said the bill “represents the best option
available” to the government, and will have a “deterrent effect and diminish the
ability of the people smugglers to ply their evil trade”.
Theresa May, the former prime minister who has been a frequent critic of the bill, has been spotted in the House of Lords watching the debate.
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV
Baroness Prashar said the bill is at "odds" with the country's valuesImage caption: Baroness Prashar said the bill is at "odds" with the country's values
Archbishop criticises bill as 'isolationist' and 'morally unacceptable'
David Wallace Lockhart
Political correspondent
This isn't the first time the Archbishop of Canterbury has
attacked this government's migration proposals: last year he said that plans to
send some asylum seekers to Rwanda were "the opposite of the nature of God".
His criticism was perhaps slightly tamer in his intervention
in the House of Lords this morning, but Justin Welby made it clear that he's no
fan of the Illegal Migration Bill.
He considers it "isolationist" and "morally
unacceptable" for the UK to try to limit its role in a global migration
crisis while also reducing the share of GDP it spends on international aid.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the archbishop invoked the Bible in
his speech, reminding us that Jesus encouraged his followers to “welcome the
stranger”.
He believes that global solutions are needed, and engagement
with the international community is the way forward. Much of what he said
echoed the Labour spokesman who came shortly before him, Lord Coaker.
Labour will do 'all we can' to change Illegal Migration Bill
Just ahead of the Archbishop of Canterbury, we heard from Labour in the Lords - who said they will do "all we can to change this bill" in the House of Lords.
Lord Coaker, Labour's home affairs minister in the Lords, accuses the government of "playing fast and loose with our place in the world
and respect for international law".
He confirms Labour will not vote for the Paddick amendment, that would vote down the bill tonight.
Lord Coaker warns that if this were to happen, the Lords would no longer have the power to amend the bill - allowing the government to use the Parliament Act to force the bill through without any further input from the House of Lords.
The country "needs a moral approach" he said. "One that works, and one that will make things work."
Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Illegal Migration Bill
Houses of ParliamentCopyright: Houses of Parliament
While we've been following Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, over in the House of Lords, the government's Illegal Migration Bill has begun what is expected to be a rocky passage as its scrutinised by peers.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched an attack on the bill, accusing it of “failing to live up to our history and moral responsibility".
“We need a bill to stop the boats. We need a bill to stop
the evil tribe of traffickers,” Justin Welby says.
But “this is not that bill”, unless it is drastically
changed, he says.
Referencing the New Testament, the Archbishop tells peers: "Jesus
calls us to welcome the stranger.
"That call has been part of the history and culture of this
country for centuries."
The bill as it stands is "'morally unacceptable and politically impractical", he says.
The Illegal Migration Bill was passed by MPs last month, but is expected to run into significant opposition in the House of Lords.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the bill represents "the will of the British people".
It wasn't a surprise that the Conservative's poor performance at last week's local elections was a hot topic at today's PMQs.
The Labour leader Keir Starmer quipped that the PM kept entering a two-horse race and finishing third.
Starmer said the results - where the Conservatives lost more than 1,000 councillors - showed the country was rejecting the party
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak said the Labour leader had no policies and accused him of breaking every promise he was elected on
Turning to the cost-of-living crisis, Starmer said Labour would freeze council tax bills immediately by giving every council a grant
But Sunak said government was already helping with cost-of-living pressures
Discussing the Coronation protests, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said protesting was a "fundamental right" after the Met Police expressed regret over the arrest of six anti-monarchy protestors on Saturday
Sunak thanked the police for their work during the Coronation and defended his position, saying he has a duty to protect the public's lives from being disrupted
Sunak suggests Labour is plotting a coalition
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
As some expected, the prime minister brought up the prospect of a coalition after the next general election.
Labour’s leader Keir Starmer did not rule out a pact with the Lib Dems in a BBC interview yesterday.
Sunak used PMQs to suggest Labour was plotting a coalition. The official Labour line is that they aren’t - they are planning for a Labour majority.
But expect to hear more about the prospect of deals after the next election – and questions over what policy bartering might be involved.
Reality Check
Who has higher council tax - Tories or Labour?
A little earlier, the prime minister told MPs that "council tax in Labour areas is higher than that in Conservative areas".
Local authorities set council tax, which pays for public services like street lighting and bin collection, so it does vary across the country.
But we've tried to test Sunak's claim before and it's a difficult one to reach a definitive conclusion on.
For example, many people's council tax bill will include payments to other bodies such as police and crime commissioners, mayors or district authorities, which are not controlled by the same party as their council.
Labour also claims to have cheaper council tax.
You can read more about it here and watch the exchange between Starmer and Sunak in full below:
Video content
Video caption: PMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council taxPMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council tax
"Children are terrified to go to school, parents are frightened to let them, and teachers are at their wits end," she says.
She asks the PM to make the "epidemic of youth crime" a national priority by meeting her and members of the local community so that they can ensure young people get the mental health and mentoring support they need.
Sunak says: "We should do everything we can to tackle violence and murders against young people in particular."
He says knife crime has fallen by almost 10% and serious youth violence has fallen by 24% in the last few years. He says this is because "we are giving police the powers they need", listing stop and search, increased jail terms and the confiscation of around 90,000 weapons.
Stay with us - there's plenty coming up
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV
MPs file out of the Commons chamber after PMQsImage caption: MPs file out of the Commons chamber after PMQs
Prime Minister's Questions has now ended in the House of Commons - but don't worry, we've got plenty for you still.
We're catching you up on more backbenchers' questions and will bring you analysis too. And of course we're also watching the House of Lords debate on the Illegal Migration Bill.
Sunak says government will tackle rise in fraud
Noting a drop in violent and neighbourhood crime since 2010, Tory MP Luke Evans asks what the government plans to do about a rise in fraud around the country.
Sunak tells the MP for Bosworth, Leicestershire, that 40% of all crime now is fraud, which the government has launched a new plan to combat.
He says this will include "significant" new financial investment, hundreds of new police officers to tackle it and action on social media firms "to empower people to take action and to stop fraud happening in the first place".
Live Reporting
Edited by Heather Sharp
All times stated are UK
- The hurdles in Sunak's race to pass Migration Bill
- How is the UK stopping Channel crossings?
Video caption: Lords: Archbishop brands migration bill 'isolationist'Lords: Archbishop brands migration bill 'isolationist' -
The Archbishop of Canterbury attacked the government's migration plans, saying they risked "great damage" to the UK's reputation
-
Justin Welby said the bill would not stop small boat crossings, and it failed in "our moral responsibility" towards refugees
-
Speaking on BBC radio, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick urged peers to back it and said the archbishop was "wrong" in his criticism
-
Conservative Lord Forsyth spoke for the bill, saying he has "yet to hear" a solution to stop boat crossings from critics of the bill
-
Lord Coaker, Labour's home affairs minister in the Lords, said the party would do "all we can to change this bill"
-
A motion by proposed by Lib Dem peer Lord Paddick to kill the bill looks unlikely to pass - but fellow Lib Dem Lord Scriven said he would back it and the bill should be “placed into the dustbin of history”
Video caption: PMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council taxPMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council tax -
After the Conservative's lost more than 1,000 councillors at last week's local election, Labour leader Keir Starmer said says the entire country has "rejected" the government
-
PM Rishi Sunak hit back saying Starmer has broken every promise he was elected on
-
On the cost-of-living crisis, Starmer said Labour would freeze council tax bills but Sunak insisted the Tories are helping with cost-of-living measures
-
Speaking after the Met Police expressed regret over the arrest of six anti-monarchy protestors during the Coronation, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said protesting was a "fundamental right"
-
Sunak thanked the police for their work during the Coronation and said police should have powers to protect the public from serious disruption
![Migrants travelling in small boat](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images -
A promise to consult on new safe and legal routes for migrants - under a new amendment, the government committed to publishing a report on new routes within six months of the bill becoming law
-
An amendment gives ministers more leeway to ignore European court rulings attempting to block migrant deportations from the UK
-
Some Tory MPs wanted to require court approval for unaccompanied children to be detained for longer than three days - ministers pledged to work with them on a "new timescale"
![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/96/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/8/26/95e08369-2529-4559-8837-91fd26c52939.jpg)
-
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has a duty to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country
-
Migrants would not be granted bail or be able to seek judicial review for the first 28 days of detention
-
Under-18s, those medically unfit to fly or at risk of serious harm in the country they are being removed to would be able to delay departure
-
People removed from the UK would be blocked from returning, or seeking British citizenship in future
-
There is a cap on the number of refugees the UK will settle through "safe and legal routes"
![Chart showing the number of people crossing the English Channel (9 March 2023)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
BBCCopyright: BBC - How is the UK stopping Channel crossings and what are the legal routes to the UK?
![Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Kramer](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
UK ParliamentCopyright: UK Parliament ![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/96/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/10/5/77f1bce6-dad0-484d-8f1e-149180838270.jpg)
![Lord Dubs](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV Lord Dubs accused the government of using language to make public opinion "hostile to refugees"Image caption: Lord Dubs accused the government of using language to make public opinion "hostile to refugees" ![Baroness Prashar](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV Baroness Prashar said the bill is at "odds" with the country's valuesImage caption: Baroness Prashar said the bill is at "odds" with the country's values ![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/96/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/8/26/95e08369-2529-4559-8837-91fd26c52939.jpg)
![Archbishop of Canterbury](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Houses of ParliamentCopyright: Houses of Parliament -
Starmer said the results - where the Conservatives lost more than 1,000 councillors - showed the country was rejecting the party
-
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak said the Labour leader had no policies and accused him of breaking every promise he was elected on
-
Turning to the cost-of-living crisis, Starmer said Labour would freeze council tax bills immediately by giving every council a grant
-
But Sunak said government was already helping with cost-of-living pressures
-
Discussing the Coronation protests, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said protesting was a "fundamental right" after the Met Police expressed regret over the arrest of six anti-monarchy protestors on Saturday
-
Sunak thanked the police for their work during the Coronation and defended his position, saying he has a duty to protect the public's lives from being disrupted
![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/96/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/10/5/77f1bce6-dad0-484d-8f1e-149180838270.jpg)
![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/96/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2022/10/6/d921ac27-0b13-4274-a935-56167f90018b.jpg)
Video caption: PMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council taxPMQs: Starmer and Sunak on local elections and council tax ![MPs leave House of Commons](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Parliament TVCopyright: Parliament TV MPs file out of the Commons chamber after PMQsImage caption: MPs file out of the Commons chamber after PMQs
Latest PostThanks for joining us
After a busy few hours in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, we're closing our live coverage for now.
The Lords will resume their debate on the government's controversial Illegal Migration Bill later. Our Politics team will be following - you can read their report on the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments here.
Want to learn more about the bill itself? Head here:
And we've lots more wider coverage on our Politics index - from the decision that a committee of MPs will examine the arrests of anti-monarchy protesters, to what Labour and the Lib-Dems are saying when asked about forming a coalition if Labour fails to win a majority at the next general election.
Today's page was written by Adam Durbin, Alys Davies, Aoife Walsh, Sam Hancock, Ece Goksedef, Emily McGarvey, Charley Adams amd Sam Francis. It was edited by Sarah Fowler, Dulcie Lee and Heather Sharp.
Lords debate migration bill: What's been happening?
Video content
The House of Lords has been debating the Illegal Migration Bill - a key part of Rishi Sunak's plan to "stop" small boats crossing the English Channel. Here are some of the key developments so far:
What happened at PMQs today?
Video content
We'll be closing our live coverage soon - we've brought you both Prime Minister's Questions and the debate in the House of Lords on the government's Illegal Migration Bill.
PMQs covered lots of ground - coming hot on the heels of last week's local elections, as well as the Coronation and subsequent row over protest arrests.
Here are a few of the key moments:
What amendments have already been made?
A bit more background on the Illegal Migration Bill bill - which has been controversial from the outset.
It is being discussed in the House of Lords today, after it was passed through the House of Commons last month.
This followed pressure from Tory MPs and campaigners for changes to the controversial bill - and some changes were made:
You can find more details here.
What's being said in support of the Illegal Migration Bill?
As we've been reporting, there has been a lot of criticism of the bill from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But several peers - mostly from the Conservative benches - have been speaking in support of it.
Michael Forsyth, the Conservative former Scotland secretary, backed the comments of his old cabinet colleague Michael Howard - who spoke earlier in the debate. Lord Forsyth said “something needs to be done - and this is something, which is an alternative to doing nothing" - which he said was the position of those opposing the bill.
The author Lord Dobbs said while he finds the bill "in many ways distasteful” it is the “moral obligation” of politicians to stop small boat crossings. This bill “aims at finding a better means of fighting the modern slavers and people smugglers” to save human lives, the Conservative peer adds.
Former supreme court judge, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood, calls on peers to “harden their hearts” and support the bill in order to “stop the boats” and “limit the overall number” of immigrants coming to the UK.
The crossbench peer argues that global famine and conflict will only drive-up immigration in the coming years and the UK must “find its own solution” for illegal migration soon.
Another crossbench peer, the founder of Migration Watch Lord Green of Deddington, backed the Bill, which he says is a small part of the fight against large scale migration. A “real reduction in wider migration is now essential to preserve the country that many of us love”, he says.
Children should be protected in migration bill - Bishop
As the House of Lords continues its lunch break, we'll just recap a few more comments from today's debate on the Illegal Migration Bill.
The Bishop of Durham added his voice to criticism from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby earlier, warning the bill could potentially lead to an "unjustified, intolerable level of harm".
The Rt Rev Paul Butler said children and pregnant women would be viewed "first and foremost as individuals subject to immigration control, not as an innocent child or a vulnerable mother due to give birth".
Children need the highest level of safeguarding, he told peers, also calling for more details from the government on how vulnerable people would be protected.
Butler quoted words of Jesus about children from the Biblen, and urged ministers to ensure migrant children would not be kept in detention for long periods of time.
Lords amendments likely on migration bill
David Wallace Lockhart
Political correspondent
Though there's likely to be plenty of criticism from peers as this bill goes through the Lords, it looks like a Lib Dem motion to have it thrown out will fail.
Other opposition figures point out this won't stop the bill becoming law, but would deprive peers of the opportunity to make amendments.
Speaking of amendments, that's where we're likely to see the House of Lords try and wield its influence. The Archbishop himself made it clear that he's got some plans of his own to try and change the legislation.
Amendments around safe and legal routes, modern slavery and the treatment of unaccompanied children are likely to crop up as the bill proceeds.
But the message from the government was made clear by the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary in an article for The Times this morning. They said the Lords have every right to scrutinise legislation, but that "stopping the boats" represents "the will of the British people", suggesting that fundamental changes from peers will not be looked on too kindly.
Remember, MPs can always undo changes from the House of Lords, though it does slow down the legislative process.
What is the Illegal Migration Bill?
The House of Lords is taking a lunch break just now, so let's take a look at the details of the bill they are discussing today.
The Illegal Migration Bill is part of the government's plan to tackle small boat crossings across the English Channel after record numbers arrived in the UK this way in 2022.
Under the bill:
The law, which has already been approved by MPs, will apply retrospectively, with anyone arriving illegally from Tuesday 7 March at risk of deportation.
It has prompted outrage from opposition parties and charities, which argue the bill is unworkable and could breach international law.
Peer claims refugee mother would have been turned away
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Kramer has claimed her mother - an orthodox Jewish refugee from the Nazis - would have been "sent to Rwanda as an undesirable" by this government.
Baroness Kramer's mother was smuggled into the UK by the RAF - she had "not chosen an official route", she tells the House of Lords.
She asks for the government to back up claims by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick that “uncontrolled illegal migration” threatened to “cannibalise” the UK’s compassion.
"I argue for the Britain we saw this weekend at the Coronation. Not threatened by diversity but energised by it," she added.
Immigration minister: Archbishop 'wrong' on bill
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
The immigration minister - Robert Jenrick - has said the Archbishop of Canterbury is "wrong" in his criticisms of the Illegal Immigration Bill.
Jenrick told the BBC: "There is nothing moral about allowing the pernicious trade of people smugglers to continue."
Justin Welby criticised the government's approach in a rare contribution to the House of Lords.
He said the plan would damage the UK and failed a "moral responsibility".
But Jenrick said the bill was the "only way" to stop small boat crossings.
He said the government's critics were backing open borders, offering no "viable alternatives".
Jenrick urges the Lords to back the plan, telling the BBC's World at One: "I hope in the end they will support the bill" as the "only way" to "get a grip of the issue".
'Dustbin of history' or 'best option available'?
During Prime Minister's Questions, peers have been attacking the Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Lords.
Labour peer Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis on the Kindertransport, accused government ministers of using language “intended to inflame public opinion and make public opinion hostile to refugees”.
Quoting the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, he says the bill is a “clear breach” of the UK’s international responsibilities.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Scriven said he will back the motion to kill the bill in the House of Lords, arguing the bill should be “placed into the dustbin of history”.
We also heard from Baroness Prashar - a non-affiliated peer, known as a crossbencher in the House of Lords - who said the bill “is at odds with the values of this country”.
Former home secretary Michael Howard was a rare supportive voice.
Lord Howard of Lympne, as he is now known, said the bill “represents the best option available” to the government, and will have a “deterrent effect and diminish the ability of the people smugglers to ply their evil trade”.
Theresa May, the former prime minister who has been a frequent critic of the bill, has been spotted in the House of Lords watching the debate.
Archbishop criticises bill as 'isolationist' and 'morally unacceptable'
David Wallace Lockhart
Political correspondent
This isn't the first time the Archbishop of Canterbury has attacked this government's migration proposals: last year he said that plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda were "the opposite of the nature of God".
His criticism was perhaps slightly tamer in his intervention in the House of Lords this morning, but Justin Welby made it clear that he's no fan of the Illegal Migration Bill.
He considers it "isolationist" and "morally unacceptable" for the UK to try to limit its role in a global migration crisis while also reducing the share of GDP it spends on international aid.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the archbishop invoked the Bible in his speech, reminding us that Jesus encouraged his followers to “welcome the stranger”.
He believes that global solutions are needed, and engagement with the international community is the way forward. Much of what he said echoed the Labour spokesman who came shortly before him, Lord Coaker.
Labour will do 'all we can' to change Illegal Migration Bill
Just ahead of the Archbishop of Canterbury, we heard from Labour in the Lords - who said they will do "all we can to change this bill" in the House of Lords.
Lord Coaker, Labour's home affairs minister in the Lords, accuses the government of "playing fast and loose with our place in the world and respect for international law".
He confirms Labour will not vote for the Paddick amendment, that would vote down the bill tonight.
Lord Coaker warns that if this were to happen, the Lords would no longer have the power to amend the bill - allowing the government to use the Parliament Act to force the bill through without any further input from the House of Lords.
The country "needs a moral approach" he said. "One that works, and one that will make things work."
Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Illegal Migration Bill
While we've been following Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, over in the House of Lords, the government's Illegal Migration Bill has begun what is expected to be a rocky passage as its scrutinised by peers.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched an attack on the bill, accusing it of “failing to live up to our history and moral responsibility".
“We need a bill to stop the boats. We need a bill to stop the evil tribe of traffickers,” Justin Welby says.
But “this is not that bill”, unless it is drastically changed, he says.
Referencing the New Testament, the Archbishop tells peers: "Jesus calls us to welcome the stranger.
"That call has been part of the history and culture of this country for centuries."
The bill as it stands is "'morally unacceptable and politically impractical", he says.
The Illegal Migration Bill was passed by MPs last month, but is expected to run into significant opposition in the House of Lords.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the bill represents "the will of the British people".
Read more here.
What did we learn at PMQs?
It wasn't a surprise that the Conservative's poor performance at last week's local elections was a hot topic at today's PMQs.
The Labour leader Keir Starmer quipped that the PM kept entering a two-horse race and finishing third.
Sunak suggests Labour is plotting a coalition
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
As some expected, the prime minister brought up the prospect of a coalition after the next general election.
Labour’s leader Keir Starmer did not rule out a pact with the Lib Dems in a BBC interview yesterday.
Sunak used PMQs to suggest Labour was plotting a coalition. The official Labour line is that they aren’t - they are planning for a Labour majority.
But expect to hear more about the prospect of deals after the next election – and questions over what policy bartering might be involved.
Reality Check
Who has higher council tax - Tories or Labour?
A little earlier, the prime minister told MPs that "council tax in Labour areas is higher than that in Conservative areas".
Local authorities set council tax, which pays for public services like street lighting and bin collection, so it does vary across the country.
But we've tried to test Sunak's claim before and it's a difficult one to reach a definitive conclusion on.
For example, many people's council tax bill will include payments to other bodies such as police and crime commissioners, mayors or district authorities, which are not controlled by the same party as their council.
Labour also claims to have cheaper council tax.
You can read more about it here and watch the exchange between Starmer and Sunak in full below:
Video content
Labour asks PM about 'epidemic of youth crime'
The final question comes from Labour's Stella Creasy. She speaks about the murder of 16-year-old Renell Charles in her constituency of Walthamstow last week.
"Children are terrified to go to school, parents are frightened to let them, and teachers are at their wits end," she says.
She asks the PM to make the "epidemic of youth crime" a national priority by meeting her and members of the local community so that they can ensure young people get the mental health and mentoring support they need.
Sunak says: "We should do everything we can to tackle violence and murders against young people in particular."
He says knife crime has fallen by almost 10% and serious youth violence has fallen by 24% in the last few years. He says this is because "we are giving police the powers they need", listing stop and search, increased jail terms and the confiscation of around 90,000 weapons.
Stay with us - there's plenty coming up
Prime Minister's Questions has now ended in the House of Commons - but don't worry, we've got plenty for you still.
We're catching you up on more backbenchers' questions and will bring you analysis too. And of course we're also watching the House of Lords debate on the Illegal Migration Bill.
Sunak says government will tackle rise in fraud
Noting a drop in violent and neighbourhood crime since 2010, Tory MP Luke Evans asks what the government plans to do about a rise in fraud around the country.
Sunak tells the MP for Bosworth, Leicestershire, that 40% of all crime now is fraud, which the government has launched a new plan to combat.
He says this will include "significant" new financial investment, hundreds of new police officers to tackle it and action on social media firms "to empower people to take action and to stop fraud happening in the first place".