Labor Home Secretary to Announce End to Permanent Settlement for Most Asylum seekers
LONDON – Labour Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce a meaningful shift in UK asylum policy on Monday, effectively ending the right to permanent settlement for most asylum seekers. The move, modeled on Denmark‘s approach, aims to deter small boat crossings of the English Channel and address what Mahmood reportedly believes is an overly generous asylum system.
Mahmood is said to be impressed by Denmark’s success in achieving a 40-year low in successful asylum claims. She argues the current UK system acts as a “magnet” for small boat crossings.
The proposed reforms are already drawing criticism from within the Labour party. Clive Lewis, a Labour MP, warned that adopting Danish policies could drive progressive voters towards parties like the Greens, characterizing aspects of the system as echoing “talking points of the far right.” nadia Whittome,another Labour MP,described following Denmark’s path as a “dead end – morally,politically and electorally.”
Mahmood is expected to counter this internal opposition with a warning to skeptical colleagues: “If you don’t like this, you won’t like what follows me.” She will reportedly argue that failing to adopt these reforms risks further gains for Reform UK.
Denmark’s asylum policy, summarized as “less in, more out,” has been implemented while remaining within the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Mahmood and her Danish counterpart, Rasmus Stokland, both seek reforms to limit the influence of “activist judges” in deportation cases involving family life considerations under the ECHR.
The declaration comes as both Reform UK and the Conservatives advocate for leaving the ECHR entirely. Reform UK proposes detaining and deporting all cross-channel arrivals, while the Conservatives maintain that stopping the boats requires the reinstatement of a rwanda-style deportation scheme – previously denounced by Labour as a “gimmick.”
Mahmood is anticipated to acknowledge the current situation at the UK border is “out of control.” While recognizing that policy changes alone may not immediately restore voter trust, she hopes a reduction in small boat crossings will allow Labour to be heard on a broader range of policy issues.
