Many constituents have contacted me about the government’s changes to the UK’s asylum system which were announced this week. As you will appreciate, this is an important and sensitive topic. Please excuse the length of this statement, but I thought it was important to deal in some detail with the issues that you and other constituents are raising with me.
Let me begin with a reminder that the UK has a proud history of offering sanctuary – from Syrians and Afghans to the people of Hong Kong and Ukraine – and that history matters. I understand why many fear that changes to the asylum system risk undermining that tradition. I also know that for many of my constituents, these concerns are rooted in personal experience: volunteering with local support groups, building friendships with people seeking refuge, or coming to the UK as part of an earlier resettlement programme.
At the same time, everyone knows that the current system is struggling to cope with unprecedented pressures. Under the last Tory Government, asylum decision-making ground to a halt, creating a rising backlog that left people waiting endlessly in limbo. Too many were housed in hotels at significant public cost. Dangerous small-boat crossings created opportunities for criminal gangs to profit from human misery, placing vulnerable people at huge risk. A system that cannot keep pace fails those who genuinely need protection and erodes public trust in our ability to provide it.
This is why we must act and make changes that will restore order and control to the system, while maintaining this country’s status as a welcoming and tolerant country. They aim to ensure that the British Parliament, not criminal gangs, decides who has the right to be here. This reflects a principle that many constituents have raised with me: that compassion must be underpinned by clear rules, effective enforcement, and a system that taxpayers can have confidence in.
I welcome the government’s expansion of safe and legal routes, including capped humanitarian programmes, community sponsorship, and new pathways for vulnerable students and workers. The aim of these is to reduce reliance on dangerous journeys and provide structured, safe alternatives. Community sponsorship in particular offers local groups a meaningful role in demonstrating compassion by welcoming people who are fleeing danger, building on the huge generosity demonstrated through “Homes for Ukraine.”
The reforms also include steps to speed up asylum decision-making so that people are not left in prolonged uncertainty; to provide timely access to legal advice; and to simplify the appeals system so that decisions are made more swiftly and fairly. A system that is quicker and more predictable is better for everyone, including those seeking protection.
With 20 years’ experience as a lecturer in languages and international cultures, I am an internationalist at heart, so I strongly reject the notion that these changes do not align with our Labour principles or British values. It is a Labour value to stop criminals exploiting vulnerable people; it is a core Labour value of fairness to ensure that no-one gets away with breaking our rules while the majority follow them; and it is a core Labour value to ensure that as part of our social contract, those able to contribute towards the help they receive from the state should do so.
It is simply wrong to say that these changes reflect the Reform Party’s position. Reform politicians do not believe there should be any asylum system; we support an effective asylum system where claims are heard and treated fairly. Reform want to wrench the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights; we are committed to staying in an ECHR that is fit for the 21st century.
Britain’s obligations to protect those fleeing persecution are non-negotiable, and under this Labour Government, we will always give sanctuary to people in genuine need, but we will ensure that help is focused precisely where it should be. We must create a system that can command the confidence of the public while maintaining the compassion that defines us as a country – we have already how seen this issue exploited by right-wing populists.
I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to write to me. Please continue to share your views and experiences. The success of any change depends on how it is implemented in practice, and I am clear that the Government must remain attentive to concerns and willing to respond to evidence as it emerges. Your insights will play a vital role in shaping that ongoing work.