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Britain's center-left government has announced a major overhaul of its asylum laws. The changes are sparking criticism within the Labour Party and praise from the opposition. NPR's Fatima Al-Kassab reports from London.
FATIMA AL-KASSAB, BYLINE: Unveiling what she said were the biggest changes to asylum laws in modern times, Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament that the sweeping changes were needed because the current system was unfair and out of control.
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SHABANA MAHMOOD: The pace and scale of change has destabilized communities. It is making our country a more divided place. There will never be a justification for the violence and racism of a minority.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Here, here.
MAHMOOD: But if we fail to deal with this crisis, we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger and ends in hatred.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Here, here.
AL-KASSAB: She said the new policies were about restoring order and control and listed changes which include making refugee status temporary. New arrivals will now wait up to 20 years before they can settle permanently. People could be returned to their home country when it is deemed safe to do so, and it will be harder for them to bring their families. She also said that asylum-seekers may have some high-value assets seized, such as jewelry or cars, to contribute to the cost of their accommodation in the U.K.
So far this year, more than 100,000 people have claimed asylum in the U.K. The plans received rare praise from the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, who said she would help the government get it through Parliament. But some from Mahmood's own party are concerned. Labour lawmaker Nadia Whittome told Parliament it was dystopian.
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NADIA WHITTOME: Is this how we'd want to be treated if we were fleeing for our lives? Of course not. So how can we be adopting such obviously cruel policies?
AL-KASSAB: But Mahmood said, if not this, something darker may follow. Recent polls show immigration as one of voters' top concerns. The past year has seen anti-immigration protests and the rise of Reform UK, a far-right party that has threatened mass deportations.
Fatima Al-Kassab, NPR News, London.
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