Labour plans to prioritize asylum claims from migrants coming from “safe” countries like India, Vietnam, and Albania as part of its efforts to manage the high volume of cases after scrapping the Rwanda deportation plan. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to propose a change in the law that will allow the processing of asylum claims for those who have entered the UK illegally over the past 18 months.
This new policy will overturn a section of the Tories’ Illegal Migration Act, which had prevented anyone arriving illegally since March 2023 from being granted asylum. Under the previous administration, these individuals were slated for removal under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation scheme. However, Labour, having taken power, declared the Rwanda plan “dead and buried.”
The proposed legal change is expected to impact around 101,000 migrants who arrived in the UK via small boats or other illegal means. Asylum claims from migrants hailing from safe countries like India, Vietnam, and Albania will be prioritized since these individuals can be more easily returned to their home countries. This policy contrasts with the treatment of asylum seekers from conflict-ridden countries such as Afghanistan and Syria.
Only a small percentage of asylum seekers from these safe countries have their applications accepted, with figures showing a 3% acceptance rate for Indian applicants, 7% for Albanians, and 46% for Vietnamese. The Refugee Council, a UK-based charity, has estimated that 70% of migrants previously earmarked for deportation to Rwanda would likely be granted asylum under the new policy.
In a forthcoming statement to the House of Commons, Ms. Cooper, who has described the UK’s asylum system as “broken,” is also expected to provide an update on the establishment of a new Border Security Command. This initiative is part of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s commitment to dismantling the criminal gangs that facilitate Channel crossings in small boats.
Senior Tory members have criticized Labour for abandoning the Rwanda scheme, arguing that this move removes a key deterrent against illegal migration and effectively grants an amnesty by processing these asylum claims. Former immigration minister Tom Pursglove predicted an increase in the number of migrants crossing the Channel as a result.
Recent Home Office figures show that 1,499 migrants arrived in the UK in 27 boats between July 15 and 21. The provisional total for the year has reached 15,831, representing a 9% increase compared to the same period last year and a 3% increase from 2022.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing the ability to fast-track removals to safe countries and to coordinate action against smuggling gangs through the new Border Security Command. The Home Secretary has already initiated crucial steps, with more actions expected in the coming weeks.