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Communities Secretary Steve Reed has affirmed the government’s firm commitment to advancing significant reforms to the asylum system, despite opposition from within the Labour Party. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a series of proposed changes, which include extending the waiting period for refugees to apply for permanent residency to 20 years and increasing the deportations of families whose asylum claims have been rejected. This move has sparked controversy, especially regarding the deportation of children. Labour figures such as MP Stella Creasy and Lord Dubs have openly criticized the government’s approach, with Creasy stating it is “not the British way” and Lord Dubs condemning the tactic of “using children as a weapon.” Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch acknowledged that the reforms didn’t go far enough but hinted that her party might back the proposals in Parliament.
In recent months, the government has had to retreat from certain initiatives, including welfare cuts and reductions in the winter fuel payment, following disagreements with some Conservative MPs. In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Reed emphasized the government’s aim to establish an asylum system that is “fair, tolerant and compassionate.” Addressing dissatisfaction within his party, he stressed: “We are absolutely committed to [the plans]… We can’t go on like this, it is tearing the country apart in many respects.” Reed also pointed out the “perverse incentives” created by the current system, which he argues encourages families to make dangerous Channel crossings. Citing tragic incidents, he said, “Over the last year, 14 children who were put on those dangerous dinghies and pushed out into the English Channel lost their lives when those boats capsized…”
Mahmood outlined her proposals to Parliament on Monday, asserting that they would “restore order and control” to the asylum process. Her reforms include making refugee status temporary and subject to review every 30 months, with refugees being returned if their home countries are deemed safe again. The path to permanent residence would be extended dramatically from five to twenty years. Additionally, new legal routes to enter the UK safely will be introduced, with an annual cap on numbers and a reduced timescale of ten years before permanent settlement status can be considered for those coming via these routes. The government is also developing plans to halt support for families whose asylum applications have been rejected but who still remain in the UK, alongside considering forced deportations where these families refuse to leave.
The Labour Party has seen divided reactions to Mahmood’s proposals. Roughly 20 Labour MPs have made their criticisms public, with even more expressing concern privately. Olivia Blake, MP for Sheffield Hallam, accused Mahmood of deepening division by suggesting that refugees “have won a golden ticket” after fleeing violence and persecution. Steve Witherden, MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, called on the government to approach reform with “compassion and fairness” rather than imposing decades of uncertainty on vulnerable people. Creasy stressed her agreement on the need for change but voiced unease about deporting children who consider the UK their home, saying, “Forcibly detaining you and deporting you is not the British way forward.” Lord Dubs, a Kindertransport survivor, condemned the government’s hardline stance, saying, “To use children as a weapon as the home secretary is doing is a shabby thing. We are a better country than that.”
In response to concerns raised, Mahmood defended the reforms by noting the UK’s relatively generous asylum offer compared to other European nations, which she said attracted many arrivals and created a system that “feels out of control and unfair” to British taxpayers. Speaking to the BBC, she described the overhaul as a “moral mission” and warned that if public support for the asylum system is lost, the country risks losing an important part of its identity. Mahmood insisted that most of her parliamentary colleagues share her views. Outside of the Labour Party, reactions varied: Liberal Democrat Max Wilkinson cautiously welcomed some reforms but doubted the feasibility of refugees’ statuses being reviewed every 30 months. Badenoch argued that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights was essential, saying, “any plan that doesn’t include leaving the ECHR as a necessary step is wasting time we don’t have.” Nigel Farage of Reform UK expressed rhetorical agreement with Mahmood but suggested her focus should widen to include legal migration. On the other hand, Green Party MP Carla Denyer warned that trying to “out-Reform Reform” would only deepen societal divisions, contending that “toxic, racist narratives and the scapegoating of migrants and asylum seekers” are the real forces tearing communities apart
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