Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, has described the Labour government's new asylum plans as a 'grubby' letdown, coming after years of hostility. Speaking from his home in London, Solomon reflected on a week that saw Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announce measures including the potential revocation of refugee status, a 20-year path to citizenship, AI age assessments, and the seizure of jewellery from arrivals.
Solomon said the announcement was 'more of a disappointment' because it came from a Labour government that refugee advocates had hoped would be more humane. He recalled the Rwanda scheme under the Conservatives, which cost £700m and deported only four people voluntarily, as a previous low point. 'We thought Rwanda was the worst it had ever been,' he said, but added that the far-right attack on a Rotherham hotel in 2024, where people were nearly burned alive, was equally devastating.
Despite the setbacks, Solomon emphasised the importance of hope. 'One thing I say to staff is that you've got to remain hopeful. Otherwise, what's the point?' He cited the resilience of unaccompanied teenage boys he met recently, who are 'desperately trying to learn English' and 'still able to laugh'. Solomon, whose mother fled apartheid South Africa, believes the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice, even when faced with adversity.
