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Ten weeks ago, Sir Keir Starmer appointed Shabana Mahmood to lead the Home Office with a clear mandate to bring about radical changes to the UK’s immigration system. Recently, Mahmood has unveiled a series of bold new policies, ranging from limiting refugees to temporary stays, to reforming human rights laws to facilitate more deportations. Additionally, her proposals include threatening visa bans for countries that refuse to accept the return of criminals and illegal immigrants. These measures have sparked considerable debate and drawn criticism from groups like the Refugee Council, which describes making refugee status temporary as both “highly impractical” and “inhumane.”
While Mahmood’s team has been pleased with the widespread media attention these announcements have generated, the greater challenge lies ahead: securing unified support from Labour MPs. Various factions within the party express unease, making the task of rallying members to endorse the plans far from straightforward. Recent government reversals on issues such as winter fuel payments and welfare reform reveal the potential for internal party dissent to significantly influence policy. Some Labour MPs are concerned about the direction the government is taking, especially those representing constituencies vulnerable to opposition from right-wing parties like Reform UK and the Conservatives, or from left-leaning rivals like the Liberal Democrats and Greens.
Behind closed doors, a number of ministers have voiced worries about the proposals, and a handful of MPs have begun to publicly express their skepticism. Rachael Maskell, a vocal opponent of previous welfare reforms, told reporters many of her peers are “seriously concerned.” She added that the government’s approach to immigration is heading in the “completely the wrong direction” and labeled the planned changes to human rights law as “a step too far.” Another Labour MP, Brian Leishman, shared that he harbours “big reservations” about the plans, cautioning officials against emulating the tactics of figures such as Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who he accused of trying to “demonise people.”
In an effort to reduce parliamentary resistance, Shabana Mahmood has held meetings with Labour MPs in recent weeks, aiming to present what supporters describe as “the persuasive moral case for reform.” Even so, insiders acknowledge the delicate balancing act required since many within the party feel uneasy with the policies and the rhetoric surrounding them. Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK appear keen to exploit these internal divisions. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went so far as to claim that Mahmood “sounds like a Reform supporter,” while he and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have openly doubted whether the proposals will pass the House of Commons.
The government is promoting these changes as the most sweeping reforms to the asylum system since World War Two. According to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, the planned overhaul will place the UK’s immigration system among the strictest in Europe. However, this does not guarantee a reduction in small boat arrivals, as noted by Dr. Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the Observatory. He believes the government recognizes that the reforms are not a “silver bullet,” emphasizing the importance of enforcement and international return agreements. Walsh points out that it remains to be seen whether potential migrants will be sufficiently deterred by the new restrictions.
Addressing the so-called “pull” factors that make the UK an attractive destination for migrants is a complex, long-term challenge. The government faces a formidable opponent in sophisticated human-smuggling networks that have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to adapt quickly. Mahmood is banking on an aggressive, all-encompassing strategy to gradually reduce arrivals and boost deportations. For her, these efforts are critical not only to maintain community cohesion across the country but also to secure her political future as well as that of the government she serves
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