Labour’s incoherent asylum policies are vilifying refugees. A better and more compassionate route is possible
J
ust 24 hours after he described providing asylum as the “mark of a decent, compassionate country”, Keir Starmer said the UK had been too “generous” towards refugees, and announced a plan to end what he described as the asylum “golden ticket,” which allows people to resettle their families in Britain. For a refugee who has pulled the body of their child from the rubble of their bombed-out home, or made a perilous journey alone as a young adult having lost their family, it certainly doesn’t feel this way.
The government believes that to deter refugees from crossing the Channel in small boats, it must restrict their ability to reunite in Britain with their immediate family. It must also make it impossible for them to achieve settled status if they have ever claimed benefits or received a criminal record.
Labour may think that appearing tough on asylum seekers will win plaudits with those who might otherwise vote Reform. But to combat the rise of Reform, the government needs to do two things. It needs to demonstrate competence on controlling Britain’s borders at the same time as upholding British values of fairness, decency and compassion. This latest asylum announcement signals failure on both fronts.
