Is Labour right to create a new way for refugees to come to UK? | Politics | News
Last week, the government announced that new safe routes will be opened for refugees from autumn. The plans also include changes to human rights laws aimed at making it easier to deport people in the country illegally. The scheme, which will see communities and some “trusted” universities sponsor refugees to come to the UK, was inspired by the Canadian scheme, which has resettled 400,000 people in the country since 1979. A separate pathway allowing employers to sponsor refugees is also expected to open next year.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said: “I will open new legal pathways for genuine refugees while closing loopholes that are often abused. My aim is simple: to ensure we have an asylum system not just today but for future generations.” He added: “Britain has always offered refuge to those fleeing war and persecution. But this system can only survive if the public trust that it is fair, controlled and not open to abuse.”
However, there were adverse reactions to the plans.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Has Shabana Mahmood lost her mind? Next week she is set to announce a ‘Homes for Ukraine’ style immigration scheme to address conflicts around the world. For context, more than 200,000 Ukrainians have participated in this scheme.”
He added: “Labor says they will limit the number of the plan to tens of thousands. But over time they will all bring their extended families. ‘Chain migration’ will be a disaster.
“This is all modeled on the Canadian plan, which has allowed 400,000 immigrants in and about 100,000 immigrants in the last five years alone. In fact, the Canadian Government paused its plan because it was so unpopular.
“Labour has no authority on this matter. Burnham should call a general election if she wants to.
“The British people have made it clear: we don’t want this kind of migration anymore. We are already overcrowded when it comes to so-called ‘asylum seekers’ from countries very different from our own.”
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Ms Mahmood also said the new Immigration and Asylum Bill would seek to prevent “abuse” of human rights laws, including the right to family life and the protection of modern slavery.
It will tighten the definition of “family” for the purposes of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), limiting it to immediate family members only.
The Home Office said the new definition would prevent situations such as the one that prevented a man convicted of domestic abuse from being deported from Poland for acting like a “father figure” to his nephew.
Officials say the new law will also remove modern slavery protections for imprisoned foreign criminals and deny requests made while deportation action has already begun if there is an opportunity to make a request earlier.
