text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Nationality and Borders Bill - Clause 40 - Offence of Assisting an Asylum Seeker
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  @ MP voted aye to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter the UK, even if that help is offered for free and there is a reasonable excuse for helping; with an exception for those acting on behalf of an organisation which helps asylum seekers for free. 
  
  @ MP voted no not to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter the UK even where that help was provided "for gain", and not to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker if there is a "reasonable excuse" for helping. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted to make it an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter the UK, even if that help is offered for free and there is a reasonable excuse for helping; with an exception for those acting on behalf of an organisation which helps asylum seekers for free. 
  
  
  Prior to the Bill it had been an offence to help an asylum-seeker enter United Kingdom "for gain", but not otherwise. 
  
  MPs were considering the Nationality and Borders Bill.[1][2][3]
  
  The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:
  
  :That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 20B
  
  Lords amendment 20B stated:[4] 
  
  :Page 41, line 40, leave out âomit âand for gainââ and insert âfor âfor gainâ substitute âwithout reasonable excuseââ
  
  Had it not been rejected this amendment would have replaced a provision in the Bill[2] which stated:
  
  :In section 25A(1)(a) (helping asylum seeker to enter United Kingdom) omit âand for gainâ.
  
  This provision in-turn provided for an amendment to Section 25A(1)(a Immigration Act 1971[5] which, at the time of the vote, stated:
  
  :A person commits an offence ifâ
  
  :(a)he knowingly and for gain facilitates the arrival or attempted arrival  in, or the entry or attempted entry into, the United Kingdom of an individual, and
  
  :(b)he knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the individual is an asylum-seeker. 
  
  An exemption was provided for organisations which help those seeking asylum free of charge. 
  
  The Bill provides for subclause (a) to become:
  
  :(a)he knowingly facilitates the arrival or attempted arrival  in, or the entry or attempted entry into, the United Kingdom of an individual, and
  
  If the amendment which was the subject of this vote had been approved the subsection would become:
  
  :(a)he knowingly and without reasonable excuse facilitates the arrival or attempted arrival in, or the entry or attempted entry into, the United Kingdom of an individual, and
  
  
  
  --
  
  
  * [1] [https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3023 Parliament's webpage on the  Nationality and Borders Bill], Parliament.uk
  * [2] [https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/44307/documents/1132  Nationality and Borders Bill, as brought to the House of Lords, from the Commons, on 9 December 2021], Parliament.uk
  * [3] [https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/44460/documents/1174 Explanatory notes to the Nationality and Borders Bill, as brought to the House of Lords, from the Commons, on 9 December 2021], Parliament.uk
  * [4] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-02/0300/220300.pdf Lords Message in connection with the Nationality and Borders Bill on 5 April 2022], Parliament.uk
  * [5] [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/section/25A/2017-10-11 Section 25A(1)(a Immigration Act 1971, as amended, as at 11 October 2017], Legislation.gov.uk
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  