Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21: Progress of the Bill

Recent developments

The Bill has recently completed its passage through Parliament, after a couple of rounds in ping-pong stage: 

• All of the non-government Lords amendments were rejecetd by the Commons on 19 October.
• On 21 October, the Lords agreed to Lords amendment 4B in lieu of Lords amendment 4. It was sponsored by by Lord Dubs.
• On 4 November, the Commons disagreed with Lords amendment 4B and accepted a new clause in lieu, proposed by the Government. This commits the Government to arranging for a review of legal routes of entry to the UK for people who have claimed asylum overseas or who are seeking to claim asylum in the UK (including unaccompanied children who are seeking family reunion with relatives in the UK).
• Lord Dubs withdrew his amendment when the Bill returned to the Lords on 9 November.

Background: what does the Bill do?

This is a short, Brexit-related Bill. Its primary purpose is to:

• repeal EU free movement of persons and other related EU-derived rights in UK law;
• make EU, EEA and Swiss citizens subject to UK immigration controls;
• make provision to protect Irish citizens’ immigration rights; and
• provide a power to amend retained EU legislation relating to social security co-ordination.
• The Bill does not establish the new points-based system for immigration, which is due to come into effect in January 2021 and will apply equally to EU and non-EU nationals. That will be introduced through changes to the Immigration Rules.

Information about the progress of the Bill, details of tabled amendments, and other related documents can be monitored via the Bill’s pages on the Parliament website. A separate Library briefing paper, prepared in advance of the Bill’s Second Reading stage, provides a more detailed overview of the Bill.