Four senior Tories today backed a Commons move by Labour backbencher Tulip Siddiq to limit immigration detention to 28 days.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell and former environment secretary Dame Caroline Spelman are supporting the fresh bid to ban “indefinite” detention.
Former Brexit secretary David Davis has also signalled his support.
They are co-sponsoring a Ten Minute Rule Bill which would impose a statutory time limit of 28 days on detention for immigration and asylum purposes.
Hampstead and Kilburn MP Ms Siddiq, below, said: “It should shame our nation that Britain is the only EU country to detain immigrants without a time-limit.”
About 25,000 people each year are held under immigration powers and Ms Siddiq stressed that many of them suffered “serious trauma” as a result.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said he wants a detention policy “based on not only what works to tackle illegal migration, but what is humane”.
The Home Office stressed that the law does not allow indefinite detention.
A spokesman added: “[This year] two thirds of those in detention were detained for less than 29 days ... We will always demand the highest standards from those we entrust with the safety and welfare of those in detention.”
The backbench Bill has almost no chance of becoming law but will increase pressure on the Government to change the rules.
