Britain's parliament will debate and vote on the government's Illegal Migration Bill for the first time on March 13, the leader of the House of Commons said on Thursday.

The second reading of the bill, which seeks to bar the entry of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the Channel, is a debate on its main principles.

No amendments can be made to the text at this point, but at the end of the debate a vote will be held on whether the bill proceeds to the next stage the legislative process. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James)