THE Welsh Parliament has rejected the Nationality and Borders Bill, signalling another blow to Priti Patel’s “deeply damaging” asylum shake-up. 

The Senedd voted on Tuesday evening to withdraw consent for the proposed legislation amid concerns that it could breach international law.

Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt tabled her legislative consent memorandum (LCM) on the basis that changes to how child asylum-seekers’ ages are assessed interfere with Wales’s devolved powers.  

Tabling the motion, she said: “The UK government’s Nationality and Borders Bill will fundamentally undermine our nation-of-sanctuary vision. 

“The provisions are the antithesis of what is needed to achieve the stated aim of making immigration safer and more effective.”

The Bill seeks to introduce “scientific” methods in age assessments of young asylum-seekers and to lower the threshold for them to be identified as over 18. 

MPs have previously warned that these proposals would lead to more children being wrongly identified as adults, preventing them receiving support. 

Ms Hutt stressed that age assessments are a “devolved matter” as they fall under social care.

“I do not agree that the UK government, through this Bill, should be able to undermine the Senedd’s legislative competence by requiring referral of age-disputed children to other Home Office appointed decision-makers,” she said. 

MPs voted in favour of Ms Hutt’s LCM, a type of motion that consents or withdraws consent for Westminster to pass legislation on a devolved issue, by 39 to 15 votes. 

Nonetheless, the Bill can still be passed without the consent of the devolved nations. 

Welsh ministers have previously condemned the legislation, with First Minister Mark Drakeford labelling it an “impending tragedy.” 

The vote was welcomed today by refugee rights groups. 

Welsh Refugee Council head of communications and engagement Harriet Protheroe-Soltani said: “We hope the UK government understands that, in Wales, we have a government who cares about the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees.

“Any attempt to erode these rights will be resisted.”
 
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants campaigns director Minnie Rahman said: “It’s brilliant news that the Welsh Parliament are resisting the government’s cruel and dangerous new borders Bill. 

“Their move follows condemnations of the Bill by human rights lawyers, anti-trafficking campaigners, race equality charities and communities up and down the country. 

“Every day it becomes clearer that this Bill is unpopular and unworkable — it’s time the Westminster government abandoned it.”