Scotland (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay slams UK asylum reforms, calling Labour’s plans ‘chaotic soundbites’ and accusing them of failing on small boats.
As reported by The Independent, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has criticised UK Government asylum plans, calling them
“chaotic soundbites.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will outline Commons plans to make UK asylum temporary, allowing returns to safe home nations, with permanent settlement capped at 20 years.
The government plans to create safe and legal pathways for asylum seekers to prevent dangerous Channel crossings on small boats.
What did Russell Findlay say about UK asylum plans?
Russell Findlay claimed the people in Britain ‘won’t fall for it’ and called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to meet party leader Kemi Badenoch.
He said,
“This just sounds like the Home Secretary coming up with some chaotic soundbites just to pacify the people of this country, who won’t fall for it for one minute.”
Mr Findlay stated,
“Already her plans are falling apart. You’ve got Labour backbenchers, and even ministers, questioning whether they would even support this thing, saying they don’t support it, they oppose it. It’s absolute chaos.”
The Scottish Tory leader said the British government had failed to stop small boat crossings, offering no credible plans to tackle the issue.
Mr Findlay added,
“We’ve put forward a proposal for UK to leave the ECHR, we’ve identified that is the only credible way that you can deter people from coming into this country, because that is the only credible way you can deter people from coming into this country, because you give the courts the right to remove people who have arrived here illegally.”
He continued,
“If Labour were serious about doing this, then Kemi Badenoch has already indicated that she’d quite happily sit down with them and have a proper conversation about how we fix this problem.”
How did Alex Norris respond to criticism of asylum plans?
The Borders Minister Alex Norris has called on Labour MPs to wait for the Home Secretary’s announcement.
He said backbenchers
“have not seen the package yet and I ask them to look at it closely. I know they will.”
Mr Norris added,
“What I say to them is we cannot be defenders of a broken system. The system is not safe, the system is not controlled and it’s eroding public confidence.”
Which changes are being introduced to the UK asylum system?
The Home Secretary’s aslyum reforms include:
- Refugees could face temporary status and be returned to their home country if deemed safe.
- Permanent settlement for new arrivals extended to 20 years, with protection cut to 30 months.
- Restrictions on ‘right to family life’ under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Ukrainians in the UK may also need to return under temporary arrangements. - Automatic benefits for asylum seekers to be removed; support prioritised for contributors.
- AI tools to determine age of arrivals, raising concerns about accuracy and bias.
- New safe and legal routes introduced, including sponsorship schemes for refugees.
- Overhaul of the Modern Slavery Act and reinterpretation of human rights laws to aid deportation.
- Visa bans for Angola, Namibia, and DRC over low cooperation on deportations.
How Many Asylum Seekers Are in the UK?
A record total of 111,084 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025. This marks 14% increase from the past year and the highest level on record since records began in 1979.
This increase reflects ongoing migration trends, with the UK receiving the fifth largest number of asylum seekers in Europe during this period, and the total asylum claims now surpassing previous peaks seen in 2002.
According to other figures, around 39,292 people have made Channel crossings this year.