UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warns illegal migration threatens the UK asylum system, outlining major reforms to limit arrivals and protect public support.
As reported by The Independent, Shabana Mahmood says the government must tackle illegal migration or the asylum system helping refugees will fail.
The home secretary described her asylum reforms as a “moral mission” to tackle national division.
She will reveal proposals to reform the asylum system for those fleeing conflict abroad in the House of Commons on Monday.
What did Shabana Mahmood warn as she unveiled sweeping asylum reforms?
Shabana Mahmood warned on Sunday that illegal migration is fuelling “huge divisions” in Britain.
She insisted the plans she will reveal on Monday are the “most sweeping set of reforms in modern times.”
Ms Mahmood said,
“Because I know illegal migration is causing huge divides here in our own country and I do believe we need to act if we are to retain public consent for having an asylum system at all.”
She dismissed the claim that
“dealing with this problem is somehow engaging in far-right talking points.”
The home secretary said,
“I am the child of migrants myself, my parents came to this country lawfully in the late 60s, and in the 70s. Immigration is absolutely woven into my experience as a Brit and also that of thousands of my constituents.”
She added,
“This is a moral mission for me, because I can see illegal migration is tearing our country apart, it is dividing communities.”
Ms Mahmood, describing herself as a “child of migrants,” rejected claims that tackling illegal migration aligns her with far-right talking points.
She stated,
“It is dividing communities, people can see huge pressure in their communities and they can also see a system that is broken and where people are able to flout the rules, abuse the system and get away with it.”
The home secretary added,
“I am not willing to stand by a pretend there isn’t a problem, when I know there is one, and then suggest that any solution to that cannot work because I believe they can.”
She argued that the “one in, one out” approach is sending a clear signal to organised smuggling networks that the journey is “simply not worth it.”
Ms Mahmood said, “We have already prevented 20,000 channel crossings. We need to reduce those pull factors … illegal migration is causing huge divides in this country.”
Referring to her reforms, she said her plans would make refugee status temporary, with each case reviewed every two and a half years, saying, “That is changing the way that we look at refugee status.”
The Home Secretary argued that family reunification, scrapped by the previous government, remains a draw, and said ministers are cracking down on illegal work with enhanced digital ID checks.
When questioned, she was asked if her approach aims to make conditions “really uncomfortable” for asylum seekers and create a “hostile environment.”
Ms Mahmood said,
“I’m sending a clear signal to people: do not get on a boat. We want to disincentivise the behaviour that is drawing people dangerously across the channel.”
Pressed on leadership briefings, she said she “has no time” for gossip and every minister has a vital role serving the public.
She stated,
“We should be focused on delivering for the British people. I have no time for things people say either privately or anonymously. If people have things to say, they should have the courage of their convictions to say so publicly.”
Ms Mahmood plans to scrap the legal duty to support asylum seekers, introduced under 2005 EU law.
The new rules mean asylum seekers will no longer have guaranteed housing or support, and those entitled to work but fail to do so could also lose benefits.
The planned reforms could force judges to prioritise public safety over migrants’ family rights or risk of “inhuman” treatment if deported.
Under the reforms, judges may be required to prioritise public safety over migrants’ family rights or the risk of “inhuman” treatment if deported.
What did Chris Philp say about Labour’s asylum reforms?
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized Labour’s asylum strategy, calling it “gimmicks” and “small steps,” while the Tories plan to support practical solutions.
He said those arriving illegally should never be granted asylum and must be removed within a week of entering the UK.
Mr Philp stated,
“The Conservative party is under new leadership. Kemi Badenoch was never prime minister, I was never home secretary. We now have a different approach.”
The Shadow Home Secretary argued Britain must leave the ECHR, blaming it for blocking the Rwanda scheme.
When questioned whether Britain would adopt a Danish-style approach to asylum, Philp said illegal arrivals must be deported within a week.
Mr Philp claims the Conservative 14-year government failed to act due to constraints from the ECHR.
The shadow home secretary added,
“The numbers coming into this country, both legally and illegally, for many years now [have been] far, far too high. We need to see a society where there is a British society and a British culture. Without that, you have a divided country.”
How many migrants have arrived in the UK in 2025?
According to UK Home Office figures, nearly 37,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boats so far in 2025, surpassing the total for the whole of 2024.
There were around 49,341 detected irregular arrivals, 88% of whom arrived via small boats in the year ending June 2025.
The largest share of these migrants are from nations including Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Iran, and Sudan, with the Channel crossing being the predominant route.
