Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Third Reading

MPs passed the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill at Third Reading on 12 May 2025 by 316 votes to 95. Third Reading is the final Commons stage, where the House votes on whether the bill as a whole should pass. The result sends the bill to the House of Lords. The bill repeals the previous Conservative government's Safety of Rwanda Act and most of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, ending the Rwanda deportation scheme. In its place it establishes a statutory Border Security Commander to coordinate enforcement across partner agencies, creates new criminal offences targeting people-smuggling gangs, extends police and immigration officer powers to search and seize electronic devices, and enables new data-sharing arrangements between HMRC, the DVLA and law enforcement. Serious Crime Prevention Orders are also strengthened under the legislation. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 312 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted did so in favour. All 86 Conservatives who voted opposed the bill, as did all eight Reform UK MPs present. Two independents also voted against. Several smaller unionist parties, including the Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice, each recorded at least one aye. Plaid Cymru had no vote recorded. The bill had also passed every significant division on its Report Stage on the same day, with the government defeating proposed new clauses by large margins.