Home Secretary Prepares Major Overhaul of UK Immigration System
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce what officials are calling "the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times" in a statement to MPs next week. The dramatic policy shift, expected on November 17, aims to make the United Kingdom significantly less attractive to illegal immigrants while streamlining deportation processes.
Danish Model Forms Blueprint for UK Border Strategy
The Home Secretary has drawn direct inspiration from Denmark's stringent asylum framework, having dispatched senior officials to study the Scandinavian nation's border control and asylum policies last month. Ms Mahmood is understood to be modelling the changes on the Danish system, which includes tighter rules on family reunions and restricting some refugees to temporary stays rather than permanent settlement.
Home Office minister Mike Tapp confirmed the government's intentions during an LBC interview on Thursday, stating ministers would make necessary "tweaks" to prevent what he described as "abuse of the legal system". The reforms are expected to include measures targeting human rights legislation to facilitate the deportation of individuals who cross the English Channel in small boats.
Record Removal Figures Amid Ongoing Crossings
Ahead of next week's anticipated announcement, the Home Office revealed it had removed or deported 48,560 people from the UK since Labour assumed power. This figure represents a substantial 23% increase in removals compared to the sixteen months preceding last year's general election and includes failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders, and others without legal status in the country.
Ms Mahmood stated: "Nearly 50,000 illegal migrants have been removed or deported since the election. We've ramped up enforcement, deported foreign criminals from our streets, and saved taxpayers millions. I pledge today to scale up the removal and deportations of illegal migrants and do whatever it takes to secure our borders."
Despite these enforcement efforts, small boat crossings continue to present a significant political challenge. According to PA news agency analysis of Home Office data, approximately 39,075 people have undertaken the dangerous Channel crossing so far this year. This represents a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and a 43% rise from 2023 levels, though remains 5% below the peak year of 2022.
The government's "one in, one out" returns agreement with France has resulted in approximately 100 individuals being returned. However, the system faced scrutiny when the Home Office confirmed on Monday that a second man had re-entered the UK via small boat after previously being returned to France under this arrangement. Authorities maintain his immediate detection demonstrates the system's effectiveness and have stated he will be deported back to France shortly.
Mr Tapp further elaborated that ministers aim to "bring down the asylum shopping that we're seeing across Europe", suggesting the reforms will specifically target economic incentives that influence migrant destination choices. While some academic research questions the effectiveness of deterrence policies, a 2017 study indicated that Denmark's approach of "negative nation branding" had successfully limited asylum applications.
