LONDON – The British government’s initiative to reform its asylum policies faced significant opposition on Monday, particularly from within its own ranks, although it found some unlikely allies among political rivals, highlighting the contentious nature of immigration debates.

Even before Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could unveil comprehensive details of her strategy to make the UK less appealing to asylum-seekers and facilitate their deportation, she was already addressing criticism from center-left Labour backbenchers. They accused her of pandering to far-right ideologies.

Nadia Whittome, a Labour MP from Nottingham, criticized the proposed measures as “cruel” and “dystopian,” condemning the Labour government’s approach. “It’s disgraceful that a Labour government is dismantling the rights and protections of individuals who have faced unimaginable hardships,” she said. “If we were fleeing for our lives, is this the treatment we would want? Certainly not.”

Mahmood defended her proposals, some details of which were shared over the weekend, as a necessary fix for a dysfunctional asylum system. She argued that the changes could bring unity to a nation divided by an issue that has contributed to the rise of the anti-immigrant Reform UK Party.

“We are morally obligated to address the problem — our asylum system is in disarray,” Mahmood stated in the House of Commons. “The dysfunction of this system is fostering significant divisions nationwide.”

Mahmood said the new policy would deter migrants who don’t stay in the first safe country where they land, but instead “asylum shop” across Europe for the most attractive place to settle.

The struggle to stop the boats

Halting the flow of migrants making dangerous English Channel crossings to enter the country without authorization has vexed successive governments that have tried a variety of approaches with little success.

The previous center-right Conservative government’s plan to send arrivals to Rwanda for asylum processing was challenged in court and scrapped by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, when he was elected last year. Starmer has vowed to crack down on migrant smuggling gangs and launched a pilot “one in, one out” program to send some channel crossers back to France in exchange for migrants with legitimate asylum claims.

The issue of migration became more politically volatile this summer as protests that occasionally became violent were held outside hotels housing asylum seekers after a migrant was arrested — and later convicted — of sexual assault for trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl.

More than 39,000 migrants have arrived by boat in the U.K. this year, surpassing the almost 37,000 who arrived in 2024, according to the latest Home Office figures. However, the number is still shy of the nearly 40,000 who had arrived at this point in the year in 2022, which recorded the highest number ever.

Although arrivals on small boats have grown, they are a fraction of total immigration, with most people entering the U.K. legally, on visas. Net migration — the number of people entering the U.K. minus those who left — topped 900,000 in the year ending June 2023, largely driven by hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war in Ukraine and China’s clampdown in Hong Kong. Net migration declined to 431,000 in the year through June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics, down 49.9% from 860,000 a year earlier.

Support for asylum seekers could be withheld

The new reforms, modeled after Denmark, would revoke the U.K.’s legal duty to provide support for asylum seekers, allowing the government to withdraw housing and weekly allowances that are now guaranteed. Benefits could also be denied to people who have a right to employment but don’t work, and those who break the law or work illegally.

Refugee status would also be regularly reviewed to see if people can safely be repatriated. They will also have to wait 20 years, instead of five, to be permanently settled.

Safe ways would also be designated for migrants to claim asylum without having to risk crossing the choppy channel in overcrowded inflatable rafts.

While some political opponents said Mahmood’s proposals don’t go far enough, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch offered her support.

“What we are seeing from the Labour government is steps in the right direction, so we want to encourage them in that right direction,” Badenoch said.

Noting the Labour Party infighting, Richard Tice, deputy leader of the hard-right Reform UK, joked that Mahmood sounded like she’s “bringing an application to join Reform.”

He said he would wait and see what was proposed before committing the support of the party, which has growing support in the polls but only has five of the 650 seats in the House.

Labour denies courting far-right

The partial embrace by figures on the right is likely to create further Labour consternation as the party faces dreadful polling numbers amid buzz that Starmer could face possible leadership challenges just 18 months after a landslide election victory.

Starmer spokesperson Tom Wells repeatedly had to deny the government’s asylum plan was trying to curry favor with far-right voters.

“We are an open, tolerant and generous country, but we must restore order and control,” Wells said. “If we do not, we will lose public consent for giving refuge at all.”

The Home Office said the new policy was modeled on Denmark’s success at reducing its asylum applications to the lowest point in 40 years and removing 95% of those who sought to settle there.

Denmark was once a haven for refugees. But as Europe and the Western world have struggled to deal with mass migration from people fleeing conflict, famine and poverty, it has imposed strict limits on newcomers that have drawn international criticism for discouraging people seeking refuge.