D-day for British asylum plans

The House of Lords in Britain was today set for an end-of-term showdown with the House of Commons over the UK government’s controversial plans for dealing with asylum seekers.

Last night, the Lords voted by 171 to 120, a majority of 51, to insist that ministers think again about locating large accommodation centres for asylum seekers in rural areas.

The cross-party move, in defiance of a Commons vote on Tuesday, set the stage for a major tussle between the Lords and the Commons over the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill on the last day of the current session of Parliament.

An aide to British Home Secretary David Blunkett described the Lords’ amendment as “unworkable.”

The government would consider today exactly how to respond, he added.

But it seems likely the Commons will knock out the Lords’ amendment before sending the Bill back to the upper chamber.

The Lords will then be under huge pressure to back down.

Mr Blunkett’s spokesman said that the public were behind reform of the asylum system, adding that if the Bill was lost the Conservative Party in particular would be blamed.

It is the second time peers have challenged the government’s proposals for centres in the countryside housing about 750 people awaiting clearance to stay in the UK.

MPs on Tuesday overturned the peers’ bid to ensure asylum centres are located near urban areas.

Last night Tory peer Baroness Anelay of St Johns, said that despite government concessions in the Commons there was disappointment that two large centres would be built at Bicester in Oxfordshire and Nottingham.

The government announced on Tuesday that plans for a centre at a disused airfield at Throckmorton, Worcestershire, had been blocked due to legal problems.

Lady Anelay rejected junior Home Office minister Lord Filkin’s claim that the Opposition was creating delays, and said the asylum system had fallen into “chaos” since Labour won power.

Lord Filkin said the Government wanted asylum seekers to have the benefit of legal services and other vital amenities while their applications were being attended to.

Small clusters of asylum seekers would not speed the process, he argued.

Lady Anelay said after the vote last night: “This is another important victory which will make sure that Home Secretary David Blunkett takes into account the needs of asylum seekers when choosing the sites for accommodation centres.”