Lord Alf Dubs, a Labour peer who fled the Nazis as a child on the Kindertransport, has criticised the government's new asylum rules, calling them a step in the 'wrong direction'. The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled the changes on Monday, which include a harder line on deporting families with children and reviewing refugee status every two-and-a-half years, potentially removing those from countries deemed safe.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Dubs expressed his dismay, saying the measures would 'increase tensions in local communities' and make the UK 'less welcoming'. He argued that the hardline approach would not deter asylum seekers, based on conversations he had with people in Calais, and described the use of children in deportation policies as 'a shabby thing'.
Lord Dubs questioned the fate of children born in the UK to parents facing removal, stating: 'We can't just say out you go because your parents don't claim to be here.' He also warned against returning people to countries deemed safe by UK officials, cautioning that such a policy could send people back into danger.
Defending the changes, Cabinet minister Steve Reed said the measures were part of a manifesto commitment to 'securing our borders'. He noted that compassion cuts both ways, pointing out that 14 children had died crossing the English Channel in unsafe boats over the past year, and argued the asylum system should not incentivise such perilous journeys.
