PEERS across the political divide attacked today the government’s bid to strengthen citizenship deprivation powers as they made moves to throw out the proposals. 

Cross-party members of the House of Lords have tabled several amendments to dilute or remove clause nine of the Nationality and Borders Bill, which would confer powers to the Home Secretary to revoke a person’s citizenship without notice. 

Tabling a motion to remove the clause, cross-bencher Lord Anderson of Ipswich warned peers that the new powers had a “remarkable absence of safeguards” and there was a risk of the “extreme powers” being used arbitrarily.

The amendment has cross-bench support from Tory peer Baroness Warsi, Labour’s Lord Rosser and Liberal Democrat Lord Paddick. 

Baroness Warsi said failure to strike Clause 9 from the Bill would result in “furthering the appalling situation that we find ourselves in Britain, which seeks to sentence predominantly a minority of black and brown communities differently to the majority white community.

“Yes, that is hard to listen to, but it should disgust us, and it should disturb us in this House,” she said.

She also rejected claims that citizenship deprivation powers are needed to protect the British public, arguing that exiling individuals accused of terrorism in other countries, often those with less resources, “makes us all less safe.”

Peers have also backed moves to restrict the Home Secretary’s current powers to take away people’s citizenship.

Members of the upper house will vote on the changes during the Bill’s committee stage, which began today. 

Tory peer Baroness McIntosh of Pickering has also launched a bid to dilute the new powers, saying it was “unacceptable” that someone could have their citizenship removed without prior notice to consult a lawyer. 

Opposition to the expansion of citizenship deprivation powers continued to grow, with over 100 faith and rights groups backing a letter today to call for the removal of clause nine of the Bill. 

The letter to PM Boris Johnson, co-ordinated by Migrant Voice, says the new power has “shaken” people’s “sense of safety, security and belonging.”

Migrant Voice executive director Nazek Ramadan said: “As someone who has spent most of my life in the UK, it’s shocking to feel like my citizenship is regarded as second-class.”

On Wednesday evening, Lewisham Council voted to oppose the Borders Bill. Last year the south-east London borough became the first council in Britain to be recognised as a “Borough of Sanctuary” for people seeking asylum.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “As the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, we are committed to creating an open, inclusive and welcoming community for refugees, asylum seekers and all those fleeing violence and persecution - the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill seeks to do the opposite of this.”