Home Secretary to Advance Immigration Reforms After By-Election Defeat
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to continue pursuing reforms to the asylum and immigration system, despite Labour losing a traditionally secure seat to the Green Party in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The Green Party of England and Wales has criticized Labour's immigration policies, with its leader Zack Polanski recently accusing Labour of mirroring "the racist rhetoric of the far right." The Greens have also advocated for granting asylum seekers the right to work.
Following the Greens' victory in Thursday's by-election, some Labour MPs cautioned ministers against attempting to "out-Reform Reform [UK]."
However, a source close to Mahmood told the BBC that the government should avoid drawing incorrect conclusions from the by-election outcome, emphasizing that it was "wrong" to assume Muslim voters were abandoning Labour over immigration issues.
While some within Labour express reservations about the home secretary's approach, sources suggest that the alternative could be the "far right raising up the drawbridge," jeopardizing both the future of the asylum system and the Labour Party itself.
Shabana Mahmood has stated that illegal immigration is placing significant strain on the country and undermining the social contract between the government and its citizens.
Sources close to Mahmood highlight polling conducted last November that assessed support for Danish-style immigration reforms, indicating net support for certain measures among all voters, including Green Party supporters.
This week, Mahmood visited reception and removal centres for asylum seekers near Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, to observe how stricter policies are functioning in practice.
She has previously commended the policies of Denmark's government, led by Labour's sister party, the Social Democrats, which have reduced asylum claims to a forty-year low.
Danish government policies influenced Labour's asylum reform proposals last autumn, and the home secretary is expected to begin implementing some of these measures starting next week.
These proposals include extending the waiting period for most migrants to apply for permanent residence from five to up to ten years, with refugees potentially waiting up to twenty years.
The reforms also propose granting only temporary protection to individuals whose asylum claims are accepted, and limiting the number of appeals available to unsuccessful applicants.
'All Talk'
Mahmood is anticipated to reinforce her stance in a speech scheduled for next week.
She plans to present a "Labour case" for "firm and fair" Danish-style immigration policies aimed at reducing incentives for illegal entry into the UK.
Left-wing Labour MPs have called for a change in strategy.
Richard Burgon – of the Socialist Campaign Group – told the BBC it was time to "ditch the approach of aping Reform and kicking the left which has alienated so many people who have voted Labour previously".
Imran Hussain, representing the Refugee Council charity, expressed skepticism about advancing new asylum and immigration rules.
He said that "the big lesson of recent years was that tough talking" did not lead to "smart action" and the government should instead focus on the "basics" - swifter asylum decisions, swifter appeals and help for refugees to integrate.
Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf criticized Mahmood's approach.
He said Mahmood was "all talk and no action," and the government could not fix the immigration system while it was "chained" to the European Convention on Human Rights (EHCR).
He said a Reform government would leave the ECHR immediately and "completely abolish indefinite leave to remain", as well as imposing visa bans on countries refusing returns and "criminalise aiding illegal entry, regardless of intent".
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