Mahmood Vows to Press On Despite By-Election Blow
Shabana Mahmood unveils 5 bold UK immigration reforms inspired by Danish-style immigration policies, despite Labour backlash and Green Party pressure.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will push forward reforms to the asylum and immigration system, despite losing a once-safe Labour seat to the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The Green Party of England and Wales has criticized Labour's stance on immigration – its leader, Zac Polansky, recently accused the party of echoing "racist rhetoric from the far right." The Greens have also demanded that asylum seekers be granted the right to work.
Following the Greens' victory in Thursday's by-election, some Labour MPs have warned ministers not to try to "overtake Reform [UK]."
But a source close to Mahmood has said the government should not learn the wrong lessons from the by-election result – and that it was "wrong" to believe that Muslim voters are abandoning Labour because of immigration.
If some in Labour are now upset with the Home Secretary's approach, sources say another option is for "far-right activists to pull the plug" and threaten the future of the asylum system – and the Labour Party itself.
Shabana Mahmood herself has said that illegal immigration is putting too much pressure on the country and weakening the contract between the government and its citizens.
And sources close to her say that polling conducted last November to gauge support for Danish-style immigration reforms suggested net support for some measures among all voters – including Green supporters.
This week, Mahmood visited a reception and removal centre for asylum seekers near Copenhagen, the Danish capital, to see how the strict policies are actually working.
He has previously praised the Danish government's policies—led by Labour's sister party, the Social Democrats—for reducing asylum claims to a forty-year low.
The Danish government's policies influenced Labour's asylum reform proposals last autumn, and the Home Secretary is expected to begin implementing some of them next week.
These include requiring most migrants to wait 10 years before applying for permanent residence, instead of the current five, while refugees have to wait 20 years.
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The proposals also include providing only temporary protection to those whose asylum claims have been accepted—and reducing the number of appeals that unsuccessful applicants can file.
'Just talk'
Mahmood is expected to reiterate his approach in a speech next week.
She will attempt to make the "Labour case" for a "strong and fair" Danish-style immigration policy, aimed at reducing incentives for people to enter the UK illegally.
Left-wing Labour MPs have called for a change in approach.
Richard Burgon of the Socialist Campaign Group told the BBC that now is the time to "imitate Reform and kick out the left, which has alienated many who previously voted for Labour."
Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council, a charity, was skeptical about moving forward with new asylum and immigration rules.
He said the "big lesson of recent years" was that "tough talk" doesn't lead to "smart action," and the government should instead focus on "the basics"—faster asylum decisions, quicker appeals, and helping refugees integrate.
Reform UK's Home Affairs spokesperson, Zia Yousaf, said that Mahmood "all talk and no action," and that the government cannot fix the immigration system as long as it is "chained" to the European Convention on Human Rights (EHCR).
He said that a Reform government would immediately leave the ECHR and "completely abolish indefinite stay permits," as well as impose visa bans on countries refusing to return and "criminalize assisting illegal entry, regardless of intent."
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