Immigration Proposals

The Government has published a policy paper setting out a changed approach to Asylum and Immigration called ‘Restoring Order and Control’, the paper does not change policy and there is no timeline as to when a bill will be brought forward to enact any of the policy paper. The paper does bring forward proposals which would be major changes to the UK's asylum and settlement system. Ministers describe this as the biggest shift since the Second World War.

I want to reiterate my belief and principle that we should view people seeking asylum and other migrants as human beings not statistics or as people trying to do anything but contribute to our Country. My own family were refugees in the past and I understand the need for safe passage and safe harbour. So I believe any bill as a minimum should lift the ban on work for people seeking asylum. Allowing people to support themselves, contribute to the economy, and use their skills benefits everyone. For a long time, migrants and refugees have played a positive and productive role in the UK, be it in our NHS, care sector, universities, and local economies, and policy should recognize and support that contribution. The concept of revoking a legal duty to help without allowing people to support themselves should not be considered, it will just lead to more misery and not help the individual or the UK economy.

Decision-making needs to be much quicker and far more consistent. The last Government allowed waiting times for asylum decisions to spiral to record levels, leaving people stuck in limbo for years and costing the taxpayer far more than a functioning system would. If the Government is serious about reform, it has to start with fast, correct, humane decisions so that people can get on with their lives and communities can plan properly. I believe all decisions should be made within 6 months.

Settlement pathways should offer stability, not decades of uncertainty. Under the proposals, many refugees would have to wait 10 to 20 years before being able to rebuild their lives with any security. That degree of uncertainty makes it harder to work, study, rent, integrate, or raise a family. A fair system should support people to settle and contribute, not keep them in limbo.

I remain concerned that the use of fast-track removals and reduced appeal rights risks repeating approaches the courts have already found unlawful. Any system must uphold human rights and the UK's long-standing commitments to people fleeing conflict and persecution and there should be no diminution of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Government has committed to expanding safe and legal routes, which is welcome, but these must be genuine pathways and not capped or dependent on voluntary groups filling the gaps left by the Government.

Although the Government has now dropped the proposal to seize ‘high-value items’ from people seeking safety, the fact it was considered at all shows how easily the tone of debate can drift into dehumanising language. We need to move away from rhetoric that pits communities against one another. Refugees and asylum seekers do not make Britain weaker, they enrich it, economically, culturally and socially.

In this debate, we need to detoxify the conversation. Sweeping claims that asylum seekers undermine our economy or public services simply are not supported by the evidence. What undermines the system is delay, mismanagement, and uncertainty. A humane, efficient asylum process is in everyone’s interests.

There is a problem and that is people smugglers and human traffickers who take advantage of people, put them in danger on small boats and often put them in indentured labour illegally in the UK. The majority operate abroad and the Government has said little about how they will tackle these criminal gangs; just that they will crackdown on those in illegal work – something Governments have been trying since Morecambe Bay. It will resolve nothing to deal with those who are victims and the Government should go back to an approach of dealing with people smugglers wherever they operate and so those seeking asylum are not taken advantage of.

I will continue to push for a system that reflects Britain's proud history of offering protection to those in need while ensuring decisions are fair, prompt, and rooted in compassion and common sense.

The consultation by the Government remains open until February 2026, and I invite all to have their say:

Home Office Consultation on Earned Settlement