Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has sparked intense political debate with her latest proposal to tackle irregular migration: paying asylum seekers and foreign criminals significantly more money to leave Britain voluntarily.
The Danish-inspired solution
Mahmood's controversial plan draws direct inspiration from Denmark's approach, where migrants can receive more than £20,000 to return to their countries of origin. This marks a substantial increase from Britain's current maximum payment of £3,000 for voluntary returns.
The Labour frontbencher argues this represents sound financial sense for British taxpayers. With each asylum seeker costing approximately £30,000 annually for accommodation and support, increasing incentives for voluntary departure could generate significant savings.
Why not simply deport them?
The question of why Britain cannot simply deport unwanted migrants without financial incentives has a straightforward legal answer. Established principles like habeas corpus combined with modern human rights legislation and international conventions prevent summary deportations.
As Mahmood noted in her robust exchange with Nigel Farage, telling him to 'sod off' during her defence of the reforms, Britain operates under the rule of law rather than as a police state. This legal framework ensures that even foreign criminals cannot be 'bundled onto planes' without due process.
The political calculations
Mahmood faces challenges from multiple directions. While she insists she doesn't care if far-right figures like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) endorse her policies, she must navigate substantial public opposition to what many perceive as 'bribing' people who shouldn't be in Britain.
The political stakes couldn't be higher. With Labour ratings as low as 15 per cent in some polls and an electorate increasingly drawn to Reform UK's hardline stance, Mahmood's success or failure could determine the government's survival.
Her strategy involves taking the fight directly to critics. 'They're making mischief,' she stated, 'but it's me that's living now rent-free in their heads because I'm a politician that's willing to both acknowledge a problem and have the solutions needed to fix it.'
Potential implementation and risks
The Home Office plans to establish pilot schemes to test whether increased payments effectively encourage voluntary departures. This cautious approach acknowledges the scheme's experimental nature.
However, significant risks remain. People smugglers could potentially market Channel crossings as a 'win-win' scenario: migrants would either receive asylum and work rights if successful, or thousands of pounds to leave if their claims fail.
With approximately 10,000 foreign criminals comprising 12 per cent of Britain's prison population, and thousands of asylum seekers housed in temporary accommodation, the potential benefits of clearing backlogs remain substantial. Whether the political will exists to implement this controversial solution remains the critical unanswered question.
