Boris Johnson suffered a fourth Brexit defeat over plans to water down commitments to orphaned refugees.
Peers voted by 300 to 220 majority 80, to restore the right of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK after Brexit .
The Government ditched an earlier promise to the youngsters under the so-called Dubs Amendment, following the Prime Minister’s general election victory landslide.
But the House of Lords backed leaving the pledge on the statute book – setting the stage for a confrontation between MPs and peers next week.
No10 has vowed to overturn any amendments to the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which paves the way for Britain to quit the bloc on January 31.
Labour ’s Lord Alf Dubs, who fled the Nazis as a child on the Kindertransport scheme, urged ministers not to use the children as “bargaining chips” in negotiations.
He accused the Government of abandoning earlier protections for child refugees, and warned ministers not to “close the door” on the children affected.
Lord Dubs said some were at risk of sexual exploitation and lived in “shocking” conditions in French camps.
By providing them with a safe, legal route to the UK, peers would be “thwarting the traffickers” and avoiding the need for youngsters to take more dangerous options to reach their families.
Refugee Council trustee Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, a crossbencher, said: “Of all the issues that we are discussing on this Bill, this is probably the one that has the most pubic resonance – that these unfortunate children should be looked after – and why the Government want to take out of the statute book a commitment to try to look after them is something that the public will not understand.”
Liberal Democrat Baroness Hamwee said: “There is a strong feeling that Parliament should not reduce our commitment to these children or to safe and legal routes.”
The Bishop of Durham Paul Butler warned the amendment was “a moral bellwether for the future of our country”.
“We want to be known as a country that is welcoming and passionate and committed to playing our full part in responding to the deep issues that arise from the reality of refugees around the world,” he said.
“This is not just a matter of trust, but a matter of priority. Where do the Government’s priorities lie?”
