MPs have voted down a Lords amendment which sought to protect the rights of child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK after Brexit.
Following his election victory, Boris Johnson re-drafted his European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill and rowed back on the previous government’s acceptance of an amendment from Labour peer Lord Dubs to allow unaccompanied child refugees to continue to be reunited with their families after exit day.
Clause 37 of the Bill replaces the pledge with a watered-down vow for ministers to “make a statement” on the progress of the talks once the divorce with Brussels is complete.
But peers had voted to keep the amendment as part of the deal.
READ MORE: MPs vote down Brexit Bill amendment calling for devolution assurances
However, MPs have now overturned that decision in the Commons, by 342 votes to 254 – a majority 88.
MPs also voted to reject amendments linked to the right of EU citizens lawfully residing in the UK after Brexit to have physical proof of their status; linked to the power of British courts to depart from European Court of Justice judgments; and which sought to allow cases to be referred to the Supreme Court to decide whether to depart from EU case law.
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