Shabana Mahmood Hints At Immigration Climbown After Row With Angela Rayner

1 week ago 10

Shabana Mahmood delivers her speech to the Labour Party conference.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to water down her immigration crackdown following a row with Cabinet colleague Angela Rayner.

The housing secretary said it was “un-British” to make it harder for immigrants to be given indefinite leave to remain in the UK, including some who have been here since 2021.

Rayner doubled down on her criticism of Mahmood’s plans in an interview with The Times on the eve of the Labour conference in Liverpool.

She said: “Especially in regards to the carers, who were asked to come to this country to care for some of our most vulnerable and then we changed the goalposts years down the line, I think that’s very disruptive.

“I do have concerns about that … when you ask someone to come here and look after your most vulnerable and they spend years dedicating themselves, moving their lives here to look after our loved ones.”

In her speech to the conference, Mahmood said she wanted to “restore control and fairness” to the immigration system.

“That same principle underpins my reforms to the right to live here indefinitely,” she said. “Ensuring settled status is earned by those who have shown a consistent commitment to this country.

“I know that, throughout our consultation process, some have said elements of these reforms are not fair.

“And to that, let me say this: we will come to a position that balances fairness for those who came here legally and fairness to British citizens across this country.”

Elsewhere in her speech, Mahmood confirmed the government will immediately re-open a scheme to resettle refugees in the UK.

Around a quarter of those admitted to the UK are expected to be Palestinians and women and girls from Afghanistan.

Hundreds are expected to come to Britain under the scheme, growing to the “low thousands” as levels of illegal migration fall, and with a cap set each year.

They will be put on a five-year path to permanent settlement.

Mahmood said: “I know the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution.”

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