A group of residents have decided to write to peers in the House of Lords in an effort to stop the proposed Nationality and Borders Bill.

Ninety neighbours made the decision in a meeting in Queen’s Park Community School last week that was co-organised by charity Salusbury World.

Home secretary Priti Patel put forward the bill which is designed to toughen up the UK’s defences against illegal immigration. It has been criticised for how it would give the government powers to process refugees offshore and imprison refugees who enter the UK via ‘irregular routes’ - including via the Channel.

It has been reported the bill could cost more than £2.5billion annually to enact. There are several stages between it becoming law and Amy Sharrocks, organiser of the QPCS meeting, said writing to peers would be an effective way of making their voice heard.

She said: “I am very grateful for the way we all came together to make the event happen.

“I have since been approached by three people in the street saying how important the event was, and how many letters they have written to the House of Lords.”

Ms Sharrocks put forward the views of Charles Burnett, a human rights lawyer who specialises in UK immigration.

Mr Burnett said of the bill: “This is the biggest legal assault on refugee law ever in the UK... it is an act of vengeance which seeks to overturn principles of international law.

“States don’t grant refugee status, they recognise it.

“Clause 9 - a recent addition to the bill - deprives a British national of their citizenship without notice. This aspect was found to be illegal last summer and upheld on appeal, so reintroducing it now as primary legislation has implications for constitutional fairness.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “There are inaccurate interpretations being reported on administrative changes to deprivation powers in the Nationality and Borders Bill.

“Removing British citizenship has been possible for over a century, and is used against those who have acquired citizenship by fraud, and against the most dangerous people, such as terrorists, extremists and serious organised criminals.

“This change in the bill is simply about the process of notification and recognises that in exceptional circumstances, such as when someone is in a war zone, or informing them would reveal sensitive intelligence sources, it may not be possible to do this.”