Clause 40 - Assisting unlawful immigration or asylum seeker

Nationality and Borders Bill – in the House of Commons at 5:48 pm on 20 April 2022.

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Votes in this debate

  • Division number 255
    A majority of MPs voted to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter the UK, even if that help is offered for free and there is a reasonable excuse for helping, subject to an exception for those acting on behalf of an organisation which helps asylum seekers for free.

Motion made, and Question put, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 20B.—(Tom Pursglove.)

Division number 255 Nationality and Borders Bill — Clause 40 — Offence of Assisting an Asylum Seeker

A majority of MPs voted to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter the UK, even if that help is offered for free and there is a reasonable excuse for helping, subject to an exception for those acting on behalf of an organisation which helps asylum seekers for free.

Aye: 306 MPs

No: 227 MPs

Aye: A-Z by last name

Tellers

No: A-Z by last name

Tellers

Absent: 113 MPs

Absent: A-Z by last name

The House divided: Ayes 312, Noes 227.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Lords amendment 20B disagreed to.

Photo of Eleanor Laing Eleanor Laing Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means, Chair, Standing Orders Committee (Commons), Chair, Standing Orders Committee (Commons)

Before we continue with the business, I apologise for the delay that has occurred in the No Lobby due to the breakdown in the electronic system. I had asked for the electronic system to be fixed, but unfortunately, because there have been so many Divisions in quick succession, the engineers have not been able to do whatever they have to do to fix the system. I then attempted to go back to the old system, where we have Clerks ticking off names on bits of paper. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] No, no, I apologise—there might be some enthusiasm for that system among those who were voting in the other Lobby, but not from those who have told me about the shambolic effect in the No Lobby. I have therefore decided to attempt to go back to what we were doing earlier today—the electronic system. There are two electronic readers, rather than four, working in the No Lobby, but it appears that that will be faster than having people with bits of paper, so we will now revert to the electronic system in the No Lobby. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I thank Members for their forbearance—that is, if we have any further Divisions.