{"id":343,"date":"2025-10-24T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/?p=343"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:34:24","slug":"political-parties-compete-to-be-tough-on-migrants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/political-parties-compete-to-be-tough-on-migrants\/","title":{"rendered":"Political parties compete to be tough on migrants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This newsletter comes at the end of a conference season for the UK\u2019s political parties, who spent much of it claiming to be tougher on migrants than their competitors. Here are the key points and a range of views in response.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:#e7e7dd;border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-top-left-radius:0.5rem;border-top-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-left-radius:0.5rem;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{color:#1b67a1;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list .kb-table-of-contents__entry:hover{color:#111111;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:#e7e7dd;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id343_8c7ac2-f8 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Labour to end the \u2018golden ticket\u2019 for asylum seekers and refugees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 1 October, Keir Starmer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/04ab51c0-1919-4237-b886-099009161ea1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a> he would end the \u201cgolden ticket\u201d for refugees being entitled to apply for permanent residency after five years or gaining an automatic right to family reunification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposals build on May\u2019s white paper, summarised in a <a href=\"https:\/\/commonslibrary.parliament.uk\/research-briefings\/cbp-10267\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">new parliamentary briefing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Family reunion suspended<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suspension of all refugee family reunion routes was announced prior to the conferences. Praxis explained <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/praxisprojects.bsky.social\/post\/3ly3q3hkos22w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">the punitive effects<\/a>. Ramfel\u2019s Nick Beales <a href=\"https:\/\/bylinetimes.com\/2025\/09\/03\/the-forgotten-human-impact-of-yvette-coopers-cruel-anti-refugee-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">spoke to<\/a> <em>Byline Times<\/em>, calling the decision \u201ca shameful move with devastating consequences\u201d. <em>Free Movement <\/em>updated its <a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/refugee-family-reunion-a-users-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">guide<\/a> to the suspended family reunion scheme (for those who beat the deadline).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But now the government looks to go further: refugees will lose the \u2018automatic\u2019 right to family reunion, but what this means exactly is not yet clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Refugee Council\u2019s Jon Featonby <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/01\/starmer-to-end-asylum-golden-ticket-of-resettlement-and-family-reunion-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a>: \u201cThe previous government tried and failed to put people off taking risky journeys by reducing the rights of refugees once they were in the UK, restricting both family reunion and settlement. This approach didn\u2019t work then, and there is no evidence to suggest it will work now. Restricting family reunion only pushes more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones\u2026family reunion overwhelmingly supported women and children \u2014 who made up nine out of 10 visas granted through this route in the last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A longer wait and more conditions on indefinite leave to remain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Labour\u2019s white paper included an increase in the standard qualifying period for permanent residence (indefinite leave to remain) from five to 10 years. New home secretary Shabana Mahmood <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/new-contribution-based-settlement-model-to-reduce-net-migration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said in September that relevant factors will include<\/a> being in work, making National Insurance payments, not claiming benefits, good English, a clean criminal record, and \u201cgiving back\u201d in the community. Details will be covered in a promised consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposed \u2018contribution-based settlement model\u2019 would therefore require migrants to undertake voluntary work. Charities would be forced to monitor and report their hours. Many migrants are in jobs where they work long hours, often with low pay. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/06\/nhs-social-care-labour-new-visa-rules-royal-college-of-nursing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">nursing leaders said<\/a> that the NHS and social care would cease to function, with hundreds of medics condemning the policy as \u201cdivisive and xenophobic\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Conversation<\/em> claimed that the plan for migrants to \u201cearn\u201d permanent residency turns \u201cbelonging\u201d into <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/labours-plan-for-migrants-to-earn-permanent-residency-turns-belonging-into-an-endless-exam-266382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">an endless exam<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cLabour risks a migration politics that divides society into the fully entitled and the permanently probationary. In this hierarchical system of belonging, migrants are kept on extended probation and judged by standards never applied to British nationals.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minnie Rahman, of Praxis, said people will \u201cbe expected to go on living from one visa to the next, paying thousands to the Home Office each time, with no access to a safety net, forever unable to access the basic security and certainty that ILR brings, and denied citizenship\u201d.<br><br>Lack of detail in the proposals has caused huge concern to those potentially affected, in particular because&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.personneltoday.com\/hr\/indefinite-leave-to-remain-change-immigration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">the government gives mixed messages<\/a> about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/63498e17-67dd-4449-9592-daf7fbede504\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">whether or not any changes will apply to those already here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Further cuts in migrants\u2019 access to benefits?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The i Paper <\/em>reported in July that a further \u201cdeterrent\u201d being considered by government is to widen the restrictions on migrants\u2019 access to benefits. Of course, a large proportion of recent migrants have no access to benefits anyway. But the plans evidently involve looking at benefits access for those with indefinite leave, who are currently eligible for welfare support and housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The i Paper<\/em> has <a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/labour-considers-cutting-migrant-benefits-but-faces-three-big-stumbling-blocks-3936703\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">followed up<\/a> by asking experts how feasible this is. \u201cNot very,\u201d seems to be the answer, since European migrants have their access guaranteed by the Brexit settlement, leaving only non-EEA migrants who have ILR who might be affected. Households with a non-EEA claimant account for eight per cent of universal credit claims. Since this would only affect people who have already been in the UK for many years, it is hardly likely to have a deterrent effect on new migrants, who will be ineligible for benefits (in almost all cases) anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human rights convention to be reviewed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both the prime minister and the new home secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cd72p30v574o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">have committed<\/a> to reviewing human rights law, particularly as it applies to unsuccessful asylum seekers \u201cblocking their deportation on the grounds they could be sent to worse prisons or healthcare systems\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the <em>London Review of Books<\/em>, Conor Gearty <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/the-paper\/v47\/n18\/conor-gearty\/unwelcome-remnant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">examines<\/a> the \u201cthreat\u201d to the Human Rights Act. <em>UnHerd<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/unherd.com\/newsroom\/does-labour-really-believe-the-echr-can-be-reformed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">argues<\/a> that the obstacles are formidable, and that, even if changes are possible, they \u201cwouldn\u2019t help the country deport more illegal migrants.\u201d The <em>Observer<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/observer.co.uk\/news\/national\/article\/a-useful-political-scapegoat-how-human-rights-play-out-in-the-uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">points out<\/a> that the Strasbourg court which interprets the convention has ruled against the UK only three times in the past 45 years in cases relating to immigration rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earlier government policy changes take effect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New focus on illegal working<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many migrants with a legal right to be in the UK are barred from working and turn to exploitative delivery apps to earn cash. Now the government is moving to clamp down on this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery\/delivery-riders-caught-between-algorithms-and-immigration-raids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">according to<\/a> <em>openDemocracy<\/em>, shifting focus from irregular crossings to illegal work. This reflects Labour&#8217;s recognition that, despite media narratives, most migrants with some irregularity in their papers did not arrive via the Channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Portuguese delivery driver, who has been in the UK for years but had not applied under the EU Settlement Scheme, has been detained for \u201cillegally working\u201d, <em>the Guardian<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/sep\/02\/motorcyclist-on-shopping-trip-arrested-london-amid-labours-crackdown-on-undocumented-migrants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">reported.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visa restrictions hit exploited care workers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UK care sector has an acute shortage of workers: there was a 6.8 per cent vacancy rate in March 2025. Yet tens of thousands of migrant care workers are now unemployed due to a recent government crackdown. The Home Office\u2019s strict visa requirements and out-of-touch expectations are the reason, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery\/visa-reform-is-the-minimum-owed-to-exploited-care-workers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says<\/a> <em>openDemocracy<\/em>. A new report on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skillsforcare.org.uk\/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data\/workforceintelligence\/Reports-and-visualisations\/National-information\/The-State-of-report-embargoed.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">the state of adult social care<\/a> shows its dependence on migrant staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Politics Home<\/em> reported that London will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politicshome.com\/news\/article\/london-councils-hit-hardest-by-closure-of-social-care-visa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">worst hit<\/a> by the new visa restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The UK-Europe transfer scheme begins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August, the government introduced a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/immigration-rules\/immigration-rules-appendix-uk-european-applicant-transfer-scheme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">appendix<\/a> to the immigration rules, setting out how people will be sent back to France as a result of the new UK-France <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/68909bb2486754ec288783c2\/CS_France_2.2025_Dangerous_Journeys_Agreement.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">treaty<\/a> on \u201cpreventing dangerous journeys\u201d. <em>Free Movement<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/what-do-we-know-about-the-uk-france-agreement-on-asylum-returns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">considers the implications<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asylum seekers locked in detention centres as part of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/aug\/07\/first-people-detained-one-in-one-out-asylum-deal-uk-france-immigration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">&#8216;one in, one out&#8217; deal<\/a> have said they had not heard of the scheme before arriving in the UK and were terrified of being returned to their home countries, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/aug\/14\/people-held-uk-one-in-one-out-asylum-deal-not-heard-of-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">reports<\/a> <em>the Guardian<\/em>. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/sep\/15\/we-cant-eat-we-cant-sleep-its-a-disaster-the-small-boat-detainees-waiting-to-be-sent-back-to-france\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">follow-up article<\/a> shows the arbitrariness of the scheme. The first victim of the new policy, an Indian national, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ckg653r06jgo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">returned to France<\/a> on September 18. Several others have followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly before this, a returnee successfully avoided being sent to France for administrative reasons. Home secretary Shabana Mahmood&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/sep\/17\/shabana-mahmood-accuses-asylum-seekers-of-making-vexatious-last-minute-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">railed at \u201clast-minute vexatious claims\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;and \u201cmigrants suddenly deciding that they are a modern slave on the eve of their removal\u201d. On&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/home-office-amends-modern-slavery-guidance-to-facilitate-returns-to-france-following-high-court-decision\/?utm_source=mailerlite&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=Thu+18+Sep+2025&amp;utm_campaign=Refugees+asylum+updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">the <em>Free Movement<\/em> blog<\/a>, solicitor Sonia Lenegan wrote: \u201cI suspect that she [Mahmood] knows perfectly well that the \u2018intolerable\u2026last-minute attempts to frustrate a removal\u2019 are a direct result of the system as designed by the Home Office, which does its absolute best to prevent people being able to access lawyers and make effective claims at all.\u201d The <em>BBC<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ced5gyg2e09o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">commented<\/a> that \u201cthe Home Office regularly snatches defeat from the jaws of victory thanks to epic levels of dysfunction\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other reactions to Starmer\u2019s plans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhich Starmer are we getting today?\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/morningcall.substack.com\/p\/morning-call-has-starmer-picked-the\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">asked<\/a> the <em>New Statesman,<\/em> the day after the prime minister condemned Reform\u2019s deportation policy as \u201cracist\u201d. Freedom from Torture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/01\/starmer-to-end-asylum-golden-ticket-of-resettlement-and-family-reunion-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a>: \u201cThese measures are taken straight from the populist playbook the government itself has condemned.\u201d On <em>Bluesky<\/em>, Zoe Gardener <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/zoejardiniere.bsky.social\/post\/3m26ywcgvo22f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">described<\/a> the government as in \u201ca moral void, a stinking darkness, an empty hollow of cowardice and contempt\u201d. Enver Solomon, of the Refugee Council, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2025\/oct\/04\/humanely-control-british-borders-keir-starmer-labour-refugees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">argued<\/a> that \u201cthere are plenty of ways to humanely control British borders. So why isn\u2019t Keir Starmer using them?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy can Labour no longer rely on British ethnic-minority voters like me?\u201d asks Sunil Bhopal in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/sep\/30\/labour-wont-fend-off-reform-uk-by-just-diluting-farages-poison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">letter<\/a> to <em>the Guardian<\/em>. Maybe because, even when trying to sound inclusive, it still speaks of \u201cus\u201d as \u201cthem\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cRachel Reeves says \u201c<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/sep\/29\/rachel-reeves-confirms-she-no-longer-stands-by-pledge-not-to-raise-taxes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\"><em>the person who is sitting next to you<\/em><\/a><em>\u201d might be deported under Reform UK\u2019s plans. But what if that person is you? Until Labour can refer to the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/culturalidentity\/ethnicity\/bulletins\/ethnicgroupenglandandwales\/census2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\"><em>18 per cent of people who don\u2019t identify as white<\/em><\/a><em> as \u201cus\u201d instead of \u201cthem\u201d, the party will keep sounding like it\u2019s talking about outsiders, not all of us, including those of us with nowhere else to go.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the <em>New Statesman, <\/em>Andrew Marr <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newstatesman.com\/politics\/uk-politics\/2025\/09\/the-lefts-immigration-failure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says<\/a> Labour must face the challenge of producing a coherent policy on migration and the UK\u2019s demographics. He concludes that \u201ca Labour government that does not grasp the migration crisis or talk candidly about population density is doomed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A long list of charities wrote to the prime minister in October, asking for a robust response to far-right threats. You can read the letter <a href=\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/72b0a537f487f481dbc610023\/files\/7609a20c-6774-7c44-3609-53d4432bad79\/291015_Letter_to_the_Prime_Minister_from_Civil_Society_Leaders_with_updated_signatory_list.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">here<\/a>, press release <a href=\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/72b0a537f487f481dbc610023\/files\/56fc017e-f35f-b712-a2e0-7701a2ae3663\/Government_must_urgently_advance_anti_racism_equality_and_inclusion_160_civil_society_leaders_tell_PM.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">here<\/a>, and article in <em>the<\/em> <em>Guardian<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/oct\/13\/uk-charities-toxic-immigration-rhetoric-threats-staff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Farage promises a radical overhaul of migration policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reform UK <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c930xypxpqpo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">announced in September<\/a> that it would abolish migrants\u2019 rights to gain permanent settlement in the UK after five years. They would need to reapply for new visas with tougher rules; indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which gives access to benefits, would end. <em>The Telegraph<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2025\/09\/22\/indefinite-leave-to-remain-migration-farage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">agreed<\/a> that ILR \u201ccannot go on\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The party claims their benefit savings would total \u00a3234 billion over several decades. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the suggested savings &#8220;have no basis in reality&#8221; and the government were already looking at restricting migrants&#8217; welfare access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The Guardian<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/aug\/27\/wednesday-briefing-how-britains-asylum-debate-is-shifting-further-to-the-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">summarises<\/a> Nigel Farage\u2019s plans to radically change Britian\u2019s asylum policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take Britain out of the European convention on human rights, the 1951 refugee convention, the UN convention against torture, and the Council of Europe anti-trafficking convention<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Detain undocumented migrants indefinitely in camps, with new accommodation for 24,000 people built on \u201csurplus\u201d military bases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deport people (including women and children) to countries including Afghanistan and Eritrea, even where they risk torture or death \u2014 with the party pledging to pay regimes, including the Taliban in Afghanistan, to take them back<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Impose a lifetime ban on re-entry for anyone deported, and criminalise re-entry after deportation or the deliberate destruction of identity documents, carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>UnHerd <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/unherd.com\/newsroom\/reforms-immigration-plan-will-prevent-another-boriswave\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">looked at<\/a> some of the holes in Reform\u2019s costings, especially around the impossibility of going back on the treaty that protects the status of EU citizens post Brexit. The <em>Morning Star <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/morningstaronline.co.uk\/article\/reforms-anti-migrant-plans-would-destroy-nhs-and-rip-families-apart-campaigners-warn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a> the plans \u201cwould destroy the NHS and rip families apart\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the Conservative\u2019s Robert Jenrick said Reform\u2019s proposals are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/sep\/04\/robert-jenrick-says-uk-asylum-seekers-should-be-held-in-rudimentary-prisons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">too weak<\/a> and called for asylum seekers to be held in \u201crudimentary prisons\u201d. The Conservative Party conference <a href=\"https:\/\/unherd.com\/newsroom\/chris-philp-tories-are-looking-to-trump-for-deportations-plan\/?tl_inbound=1&amp;tl_groups%5b0%5d=18743&amp;tl_period_type=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">heard plans<\/a> to adopt a Trump-style <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c708g5x2yqzo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">plan to deport<\/a> 750,000 illegal immigrants in five years and to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Overseas nationals denied benefits under another Conservative plan to limit social security to UK citizens would have the option to return to their own countries, the shadow chancellor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/oct\/06\/tories-conservatives-benefits-uk-welfare-cuts-public-spending\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast, the Green Party\u2019s Zack Polanski <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/videos\/c5yezqerrk0o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">promised<\/a> that \u201cmigrants and refugees are welcome here\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <em>The Observer, <\/em>Kenan Malik <a href=\"https:\/\/observer.co.uk\/news\/columnists\/article\/if-farage-starts-deporting-illegals-en-masse-the-legals-had-better-watch-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">warns<\/a>: \u201cIf Farage starts deporting \u2018illegals\u2019 en masse, the \u2018legals\u2019 had better watch out,\u201d referencing the recent experiences of legal migrants in the United States. In <em>the Guardian<\/em>, Jonathan Liew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2025\/sep\/10\/immigration-debate-country-remigration-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">asks<\/a> what the \u201cendgame\u201d is for Reform, since a spokesperson has advocated forcibly <a href=\"https:\/\/hopenothate.org.uk\/2025\/09\/03\/the-shocking-social-media-activity-of-a-reform-uk-employee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">deporting 10 million people<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Weston-super-Mare, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/05\/how-reform-uk-campaign-sank-weston-super-mare-refugee-council-of-sanctuary-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">campaign by Reform<\/a> sank the town\u2019s refugee sanctuary plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Racism spreads as anti-migrant rhetoric takes hold<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Refugee-support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms, relocate to less visible sites and in some cases close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/aug\/21\/refugee-charities-install-safe-rooms-and-relocate-amid-rise-in-far-right-threats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">according to<\/a> <em>the Guardian<\/em>. The Refugee Council\u2019s Enver Solomon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2025\/aug\/22\/asylum-seekers-are-being-targeted-and-so-are-those-who-help-them-its-a-disturbing-new-reality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">warned<\/a>: \u201cAsylum seekers are being targeted \u2014 and so are those who help them. It\u2019s a disturbing new reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Scotland, <em>The National <\/em>warns of the anti-immigration tide sweeping through mainstream media. It looks at various alarming news items, including a <em>Sky News<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.scot\/news\/25414664.sky-news-accused-mainstreaming-fascism-gunboats-article\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">article<\/a> entitled \u2018Is it time for gunboats to help stop the people smugglers?\u2019. <em>The National <\/em>plans <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/scotnational.bsky.social\/post\/3lx7euiyaiq2g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">a series<\/a> highlighting the positive stories of refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Children at a scout camp were filmed and verbally abused by a vigilante group because they were thought to be migrants. Shabna Begum of Runnymede Trust <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/aug\/12\/abuse-of-people-mistaken-for-migrants-not-an-innocent-mistake-says-uk-equality-campaigner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says<\/a> toxic rhetoric could lead to more vigilantism and violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedetail.tv\/articles\/almost-half-ni-race-rioters-reported-for-domestic-abuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">investigation<\/a> of rioters in Northern Ireland by <em>The Detail <\/em>found that almost half of race rioters had been reported for domestic abuse. Sonya McMullan of Women\u2019s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, said: \u201cThese displays of public violence and disorder on our streets were meant to be a reaction to violence against women and girls, yet those who were creating this disorder themselves had histories of domestic abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Linking sex attacks to migration is \u201cdangerous racist diversion\u201d warned 100 women&#8217;s rights groups in August, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/politics\/over-100-womens-rights-groups-35755160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">reported<\/a> <em>The Mirror<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;We have been alarmed in recent weeks by an increase in unfounded claims made by people in power, and repeated in the media, that hold particular groups as primarily responsible for sexual violence. This not only undermines genuine concerns about women\u2019s safety but also reinforces the damaging myth that the greatest risk of gender-based violence comes from strangers.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Morning Star<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/morningstaronline.co.uk\/article\/britain-refugees-and-empathy-deficit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">warned<\/a> of an \u201cempathy deficit\u201d in the politics around asylum, while the <em>New Statesman <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newstatesman.com\/politics\/uk-politics\/2025\/09\/the-age-of-deportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a> we are entering a \u201cnew age of deportation\u201d. It adds: \u201cThe haven that Britain once was is being dismantled. In its place a fortress rises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former home secretary Amber Rudd warned Labour that toughening the \u201chostile environment\u201d risked creating a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/sep\/02\/yvette-cooper-risks-windrush-type-consequences-asylum-migration-amber-rudd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">Windrush-type scandal<\/a>. However, another former home secretary, David Blunkett, believes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/d97e6df5-7fc7-4b2d-9283-95e8dbe070d8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">the time for identity cards has come<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <em>UnHerd<\/em>, Felix Pope <a href=\"https:\/\/unherd.com\/2025\/08\/the-youtubers-shaping-anti-migrant-politics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">speaks to the youtubers<\/a> who are making a living by provoking people\u2019s anger about the migrant crisis. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp falsely <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/cphilpofficial\/status\/1962123959928775017?t=2hx9LHt3fVrM7SMqeGpS1A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">claims<\/a> that \u201cone in 10 new homes under Labour are going to asylum seekers \u2014 when millions of hard-working young people struggle to get their own place\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The UK immigration debate has become \u2018a hall of mirrors\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn the face of it, Britain is in the grip of a moral panic about not very much \u2014 a problem, yes, but scarcely a crisis. In 2024 some 950,000 people arrived in Britain with the right paperwork,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/a54a4228-d136-4601-82dd-2749f762f625\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says<\/a> Philip Stephens in the <em>FT<\/em>. But the problem is that most people have completely different ideas of the numbers, and opponents of immigration are thriving on the confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Behind the Lines <\/em>podcast <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/behind-the-lines-with-arthur-snell\/id1704344656\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">interviewed Zoe Gardener<\/a> about the facts about international migration, which remains relatively stable (at about 3.7 per cent of global population, of whom only a tenth travel undocumented).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <em>Lauren Policy<\/em>, Lauren Gilbert takes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.laurenpolicy.com\/p\/are-recent-immigrants-a-ticking-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">a close look<\/a> at the evidence on whether or not recent migrants contribute to the economy or are a drain on it. She concludes that, even allowing for non-earning dependents, recent migrants earn more than the average Brit and are therefore net contributors to the economy, rather than the opposite. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.laurenpolicy.com\/p\/uk-immigration-and-public-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">earlier blog<\/a> looks at the impacts of migration on public services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWho is an acceptable migrant?\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newstatesman.com\/politics\/society\/2025\/07\/who-is-an-acceptable-migrant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">asks<\/a> Anoosh Chakelian in the <em>New Statesman. <\/em>Those arriving in Britain are not so easily divided into categories of \u201cdeserving\u201d and \u201cundeserving\u201d, she argues. And the <em>FT<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/43dad7d6-3042-4697-b266-4252eba78ce3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">argues<\/a> that there is a danger of a \u201cdoom loop\u201d in which pressure to cut migrant numbers results in poorer services and then pressure to cut migrant numbers still further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This newsletter comes at the end of a conference season for the UK\u2019s political parties, who spent much of it claiming to be tougher on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":385,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Political parties compete to be tough on migrants - Housing Rights","description":"This newsletter comes at the end of a conference season for the UK\u2019s political parties, who spent much of it claiming to be tougher on migrants than their compe"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration-policy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}