Labour accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ over plans to detain child migrants and ditch slavery protections
Labour accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ over plans to detain child migrants and ditch slavery protections
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Despite Labour frontbenchers repeatedly speaking out against the Conservatives’ Illegal Migration Act (IMA), Yvette Cooper is pressing ahead with plans to allow unaccompanied children whose age is disputed by the Home Office to be detained for up to 28 days.
![[Jess Phillips described the Tory bill, parts of which Labour is keeping in place, a ‘trafficker’s dream tool’]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/22/22/f67b5c9bc7c32c7db22bab560008f6d2Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM3NjcyNDIz-2.78321637.jpg)
Labour has been accused of rank hypocrisy over plans to uphold controversial Tory proposals to detain child migrants in its bid to crack down on Channel smuggling gangs. Despite Labour frontbenchers repeatedly speaking out against the Conservatives’ Illegal Migration Act (IMA), Yvette Cooper is pressing ahead with plans to allow unaccompanied children whose age is disputed by the Home Office to be detained for up to 28 days.
In Labour’s border security bill, published on Thursday, the home secretary will also keep a ban on migrants claiming modern slavery protections and a string of other measures the party previously opposed. Amnesty International accused Ms Cooper of “rank hypocrisy” for holding onto parts of the Tories’ bill, which it said would signal “disdain for human beings remains at the heart of this government”. And independent anti-slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons said victims of modern slavery “deserve our compassion and support and no new legislation should reduce victims’ rights”.
Meanwhile Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the bill was “weak and re-announces steps the last government took already”. Labour’s Jess Phillips – who now sits in Sir Keir’s government as safeguarding minister – previously claimed the Conservative bill was as a “a traffickers’ dream, a tool for their control” as it effectively hid modern slavery victims from UK authorities.
