- Rights groups accuse Labour government of adopting harsher measures to outflank far-right parties

- ‘This headline-chasing cruelty will not fix the immigration system. It will only fuel fear, worsen instability and give legitimacy to the most divisive politics,’ says Amnesty International UK’s Steve Valdez-Symonds

LONDON

Britain is preparing the most sweeping overhaul of its immigration system in half a century – a shift ministers claim will restore control, but critics warn could strip rights from millions and push the country toward a harsher, more divided future.

The proposals floated by the Labour government mark a profound redefinition of what it means to belong in Britain. Under the new plan, settlement – long viewed as a secure and stabilizing status – would no longer give access to benefits or social housing.

Those rights would only begin once someone becomes a British citizen, and while current rules stipulate that asylum seekers can apply for an “indefinite leave to remain” after five years, the new rules will have people waiting for decades before being able to seek permanent residency.

As public consultation continues, immigration is again emerging as one of the sharpest divides in British politics.

“To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned,” said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Speaking in Parliament, she warned of “unprecedented levels of migration in recent years,” adding that under the new system, “that will now change.”

Political fear and desire to outflank populist right

Opponents say the reforms reflect a mix of political anxiety, bureaucratic severity and a desire to outmaneuver Reform UK, the populist party led by Nigel Farage.

The government has proposed allowing authorities to confiscate refugees’ valuables, including items such as jewelry, to help cover accommodation costs.

“It is right that if people have money in the bank, if people have assets like cars, like e-bikes, they should be contributing,” Alex Norris, a Home Office minister, said, adding the government would not seize “family heirlooms” like wedding rings.

For human rights groups, such assurances offer little comfort.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights director, delivered a scathing assessment of the plan.

“The home secretary’s immigration and asylum plans are cruel, divisive and fundamentally out of step with basic decency,” he told Anadolu.

“Forcing refugees into endless short-term applications, denying visas to partners and children, and stripping away support for people who would otherwise be destitute will only deepen chaos, increase costs and hand greater power to people smugglers.”

He added that the government was “bowing to anti-immigrant, anti-rights politics.”

“The moment a government decides that fundamental rights can be switched off for certain people, it crosses a dangerous line … This headline-chasing cruelty will not fix the immigration system. It will only fuel fear, worsen instability and give legitimacy to the most divisive politics.”

Such warnings have done little to deter ministers. Across Westminster, the political winds have shifted sharply.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously argued that without tighter controls, Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers,” insisting migration must be shaped by economic needs, not demographic momentum.

His government has already tightened work visas, strengthened language requirements and toughened enforcement.

Official data released Thursday shows migration has already fallen sharply in the past year, with net migration in the 12 months to June 2025 dropping to 204,000 from 649,000 the year prior.

Since the 2023 peak, net migration to the UK has fallen about 80%.

Starmer capitulating to Farage?

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has accused Starmer of bending to Reform UK’s pressure.

“Migrants and refugees are welcome here,” he said in a recent speech, warning that mimicking Farage’s rhetoric would “hand this country on a plate to the dark forces around Nigel Farage.”

“When Farage says jump, Labour might say, ‘How high?’ But the Greens won’t dance to the tune … We will say it loud, and we will say it clear.”

Farage, for his part, has offered no reason to moderate. So far, Reform UK has grown its influence in polls, and its rhetoric has moved the political center.

He has endorsed abolishing the “indefinite leave to remain” option – a long-standing status that allows people to live and work in the UK without time limits – insisting it reflects public opinion.

Such hardline demands have shaped the political battlefield more than his parliamentary absence. Ministers know Reform UK’s rise has fractured Conservative loyalties and drawn working-class voters away from Labour in key constituencies.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also condemned the government’s policies on asylum seekers, warning that the UK is “headed into a very dangerous direction unless there can be a coherent opposition that does not compromise on the fundamental issues of human rights and is prepared to stand up against racism in any form within our society.”

Corbyn also criticized rules allowing authorities to confiscate asylum seekers’ belongings on arrival.

“The only other people you’d treat like that would be people you’re taking into custody. This is unbelievable – so somebody that comes here trying to escape a desperate situation, the first thing they find is that all their personal possessions … it’s taken off you,” he said in an interview with Middle East Eye. “What an inhuman way to treat people.”

Legal experts say plan may face major obstacles

Beyond the political theater, legal experts warn that the reforms may fail in the courts.

Ali Guden, a British-Turkish lawyer at Guden Solicitors, argues that the overhaul mainly targets refugees and individuals dependent on social benefits, rather than economically active migrants, and is unlikely to offer any meaningful economic benefit.

He said the UK is shifting toward a highly selective, high-skill immigration model, placing pressure on sectors that rely on mid-skilled foreign labor. But he warned Britain’s long-term prospects could deteriorate, as uncertainty and heavier tax burdens “are discouraging skilled professionals from choosing the UK, potentially weakening the country’s long-term economic position.”

He also pointed to legal hurdles, stressing that as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, the UK must ensure its policies comply with international standards.

Refugee-related measures, said Guden, could face judicial review similar to the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – a scheme the UK Supreme Court ruled unlawful before it was canceled.

Politically, he said the changes form part of a conservative strategy to reassure voters and neutralize Reform UK’s rise. Even so, he cautioned that the legislation could be delayed or diluted even if it passes Parliament.

“The consultation runs until February 12,” he said. “Even then, judicial challenges remain almost inevitable.”

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