Lords reject clause in bill criminalising refugees who arrive by irregular route

Monday evening in the House of Lords as the nationality and borders bill is debated. Peers voted 204 to 126 against an attempt create a hierarchy of refugees based on how they came to the UK. Photograph: Parliament TV

Boris Johnson’s nationality and borders bill has suffered four defeats in the House of Lords, including the removal of a crucial plank of the government’s immigration strategy that would have criminalised refugees who arrive in the UK through an irregular route.

Clause 11 of the bill would have allowed refugees to be divided into two classes based on how they arrived in the UK. Peers voted by 204 to 126, defeating the clause by a majority of 78.