Illegal immigration tearing UK apart: Home Secy Mahmood on new crackdowns

London, Nov 16 (PTI) Illegal immigration is tearing Britain apart and tougher measures such as an extended waiting period of 20 years for refugees to acquire permanent residency are required to unite the country, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Sunday.

During a round of media interviews ahead of a planned statement in the House of Commons on Monday, the South Asian heritage Cabinet minister described the issues as a “moral mission” for her to fix the country’s broken asylum system.

It confirmed earlier reports of the UK Home Office's plans to model the latest immigration crackdowns on a tough system followed by Denmark.

“I can see — and I know my colleagues can — that illegal migration is tearing our country apart. It’s our job as a Labour government to unite our country and if we don’t sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided,” Mahmood told ‘The Sunday Times’.

Asked by ‘Sky News’ if some of her crackdowns may be perceived as racist, she responded: “I reject that entirely. I am the child of immigrants. My parents came to this country legally, in the late 60s and early 70s. This is a moral mission for me.

"I can see that illegal migration is creating division across our country. I can see that it is polarising communities across the country. I can see that it is dividing people and making them estranged from one another. I don't want to stand back and watch that happen in my country.  "What is happening with our illegal migration system is this is a broken system. It's not right-wing talking points or fake news or misinformation that is suggesting that we've got a problem. It is a broken system." In Parliament, Mahmood is set to announce that refugee status in the UK is to become temporary, and those whose countries become safe will be immediately made to go home with their refugee status being reviewed every 30 months.

Under the current system, refugees can apply for permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years, providing access to benefits and a route to eventual citizenship.

The new 20-year qualifying period will apply to those who arrive illegally, such as in small boats or hidden inside trucks, or those who overstay their visas and then attempt to claim asylum.

“That is designed to essentially say to people: do not come to this country as an illegal migrant, do not get on a boat,” said Mahmood.  Once enforced, it will make the settlement route in the UK the longest after Denmark, where it stands at eight years. A 10-year pathway will also be created for those who arrive in the UK legally under new specific refugee settlement routes to be announced next week.

"We will bring order and control back into our system and, alongside that, we will create new safe routes for people because we still want to fulfil our obligations to help people fleeing wars and conflict around the world," the minister said.

According to official data, 111,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in the past year, and 172,798 people were granted ILR under the process in the year ending March 2025.

“I can see a system that is out of control, I can see a system that is unfair and I can see a system that’s putting huge pressure on communities, including my own,” said Mahmood, with reference to the country’s soaring migration figures.

“I think it’s important that we send a very clear signal to those people who are currently trekking across multiple safe countries across Europe looking to get on a boat in the north of France: this is not a journey worth making,” she added. PTI AK GRS  GRS GRS GRS