OPPOSITION MPs last night condemned the Government’s Immigration Bill as unpleasant, insidious and nasty during clashes in the House of Commons.

The Bill proposes making working illegally an offence and would require private landlords to carry out checks on potential new tenants.

In the first debate on the Bill, Stuart McDonald, the SNP’s immigration, asylum and border control spokesman, accused the Government of staging “immigration theatre”.

He said: “We are setting off down a road of amateur immigration control as if we’re to become a nation of immigration officers.

“Yet again, anyone dealing regularly with immigration work – including honourable members – should be well aware what a complex issue this is. Not one where it is appropriate for amateurs to be involved in enforcement.

“As with decisions of the Home Office, we search in vain in this Bill for proper rights of appeal and redress against amateur enforcement decisions.

“Indeed, judicial scrutiny of evictions is torn apart.”

He added: “This is a Bill which pursues the wrong goals by the wrong methods and at tremendous cost, and we should decline to give it a second reading.”

Under the Bill, anyone found working illegally in England and Wales could face up to six months in jail, while police would be given the power to seize the wages of those working illegally as the proceeds of crime.

The Right To Rent scheme will require landlords to check on all their prospective tenants, by asking to see their passport or visa to check their immigration status. Landlords failing to do so risk a fine or a jail sentence.

Reading the second amendment of the Bill yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May reflected the themes she spoke of in her widely-condemned speech to the Tory Party conference.

She said: “When net migration is too high, and the pace of change is too fast, it puts pressure on schools, hospitals, accommodation, transport and social services, and it can drive down wages for people on low incomes.”

Labour’s shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, called on the House to oppose the “unpleasant and insidious Bill”.

He said: “Parts of it appear to have been drafted on the same beer mat, in the same pub, as the Home Secretary’s speech to Conservative Party conference. It is legislation driven by a desire to be seen to be doing something and a desire to get headlines. On what basis are we planning to outsource immigration control to [landlords]?”

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP, said: “This is a nasty, punitive Bill that will inevitably risk yet more racism and discrimination.”

Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael said: “The Immigration Bill is not fit for purpose. The refugee crisis is showing no sign of slowing down and not one of the Bill’s 56 clauses looks at finding a solution.”

Even Tory MP Richard Fuller warned it could increase discrimination, saying: “The problem is, it is very difficult for someone to see if someone is an illegal immigrant.”