The House of Lords inflicted two new defeats on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday in the process of adopting his Brexit deal, on family reunification of refugee children and the consultation of Scotland and Wales.
In total, the head of the Conservative government suffered five setbacks since the upper house of the British Parliament began examining its exit from the European Union bill. Unlike the House of Commons, the Tories do not have a majority in the House of Lords, the equivalent of the Belgian Senate, all things considered.
As amended by the Lords, the text will have to go back to the House of Commons, where Boris Johnson has a large majority. Unless there are huge surprises, it should return to its initial version.
At 300 votes to 220, the upper house of the British Parliament adopted on Tuesday an amendment introduced by the Labor Lord Alf Dubs, aimed at preserving the right to family reunification for unaccompanied refugee minors after Brexit. This right is guaranteed within the EU.
The draft law on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, in the version adopted by the deputies, no longer mentions the commitment of the previous government to preserve family reunification for refugee minors. The government is only committed to keeping parliamentarians informed of the progress of discussions with Brussels on this subject.
“I do not know if it is total incompetence or if it is malice, but the signal that they send is that they do not like refugee children“Labor economist Alf Dubs, 87, said on Monday about the Conservative government of Boris Johnson, who won a clear victory in the December elections.
For her part, a government spokeswoman for Boris Johnson said that “protecting vulnerable children will remain a priority after Brexit“.
After a close vote (239 in favor, 235 against), the Lords also adopted an amendment on Tuesday to ensure that Scotland and Wales can have a say in the post-Brexit negotiations with the EU.
On Monday, they had already voted in particular an amendment intended to allow European citizens residing in the United Kingdom to have written proof of their right to stay after Brexit.
Once definitively adopted by the United Kingdom after the assent of Queen Elizabeth II, the text will then have to be ratified by the European Parliament. After the official Brexit date, scheduled for January 31, will open a transition period where the United Kingdom and the European Union will negotiate their future relationship.
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