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Labour's new policies for asylum seekers

994 replies

frommyheadtomyfeet · 17/11/2025 07:51

Are rumoured to follow Denmark's, which include the seizure of valuables from people arriving here to pay their accommodation costs.

Is anyone else disgusted by this?! How will it work, they can take people's jewellery, phones etc., and leave them with nothing? What sort of message does that send?

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OneDearWasp · 17/11/2025 22:12

matresense · 17/11/2025 21:00

@OneDearWasp

in the nicest possible way, I think you are being a bit naive. Prior to Brexit, the official statistics showed that EU migrants were on average net contributors and non eu migrants were on average net takers (and those from, for example, Pakistan, were much more likely to be takers). It’s kind of hard to believe that a Pakistani asylum seeker is more likely to be a net contributor on average than someone who actually managed to get a visa here so presumably had relevant skills.

There aren't very many Pakistani asylum seekers. Those that apply have very low success rates.

Since Brexit migrants have come from different countries and your point does feel like it's relying on EU and non-Eu migrants remaining of the same economic impact pre- and post-Brexit. A Nigerian nurse would get paid the same as a Polish nurse (although now they have to pay a visa fee plus health service surcharge). In other words non-EU migrants coming to do work that EU migrants used to do would be different group to those who came pre-Brexit. The value attached to the work they do and not their nationality.

The only official statistics I've seen quoted are those from HMRC but they don't differentiate by country of origin. They do show migrants earnings increasing over time and more quickly more recently.

Of course those granted asylum would be expected to earn less than those who arrive on a sponsored work visa. I dont know what the statistics are for this. One could, I'm sure, find examples of very low paid refugees and also examples of people who go on to set up big businesses. The problem is the scale of the situation.

But it would cost a lot less if asylum were processed more quickly and more accurately. A year less innaccommodation and a an extra earlier year if refugees in work.

The Labour proposal, as it stands, would allow 8 or 9 year old children to be returned to their patents' country of origin once it is deemed safe, even if those children were born here and had never been to their parents' home country or speak the language. So it doesn't seem like this would be at all easy to get through parliament.

Clavinova · 17/11/2025 22:01

Swiftasthewind
The Southport atrocity was committed by a Welsh choirboy and I don’t see anybody calling for serious reform of Welsh culture or choirs in the wake of that horrible crime

I wonder if the choirboy claim is actually false information in any case. He left Wales at the age of 6 or 7 so probably too young to be a choirboy in Wales and the church his father attended issued this statement;
“For the sake of clarity, Alphonse’s son and family never attended our Sunday gatherings, nor played any active part in church life.

AlertGoldDeer · 17/11/2025 22:01

Can anyone explain what are these benefits of unlimited, uncontrolled mass migration. It is suppressing wages, it’s increasing the number of people dependent on taxpayer support and it fracturing the social fabric. What is good about milticulturalism when it brings things like forced marriages, FGM and cousin marriages into this society. Even first generation migrants from the 60s and 70s and their children and grandchildren are negatively affected by this state of play.

DebbiesKitchen · 17/11/2025 21:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Livelovebehappy · 17/11/2025 21:57

Leavesfalling · 17/11/2025 21:02

The worry is AI. And that we will have filled all available jobs by using immigrants and there will be no jobs for our children. Its coming fast and will decimate white collar professional jobs.

Absolutely. It’s already taking jobs in the banking sector and other admin roles. People underestimate just how AI is going to get unemployment figures sky high within the next 5 years.

suburburban · 17/11/2025 21:55

England was built on the backs of its own people being exploited for generations

Livelovebehappy · 17/11/2025 21:53

Rosie8880 · 17/11/2025 18:52

We aren’t overpopulated. We have loads of land but 50% of land is owned by only 20 organisations / families. That’s not just green beautiful land. England has the strangest laws in place that protect land owners - protect them from anyone else finding out, should they want, that they own land. Guy Shrubsole wrote a book called “Who Owns England?” Getting under the skin of this. We have plenty of money and plenty of land - it’s just one hands of a super small group of people, many of whom don’t live here. I’m in my late 40s and seriously, have never seen anything like the sheer bile coming out of far right corners - that are creating fear and manipulating the very real concerns many have that there isn’t affordable housing, that the nhs is on its knees, that education is too expensive, that our bills are too expensive, that food is too expensive, that public transport is too expensive….we are in the midst of a depression, we have gone past a recession. England is built on the backs of migration and also England still governs 30 + countries via the commonwealth. It is an international country and also if it wants to pull the draw bridge up then really it has to sort out the legacy of its past and be consistent with its relationship with commonwealth countries too…..

We’re over populated as in demand outweighing availability. Land is there. Housing isn’t. To build enough homes to accommodate all those without one will take decades. What do you suggest we do with all the spare land?? Erect tents? And the NHS is on its knees. Too many trying to use it, so it’s now on the verge of collapse, but no party will try to address it because the NHS has become untouchable. And no, we really don’t ’have to sort out the legacy of our past’. You’re deflecting. And not doing it well. And no, people aren’t blaming immigration for the strain on infrastructure. But they are saying that as our infrastructure is collapsing, then it makes sense to restrict further people coming here to use it.

Clavinova · 17/11/2025 21:50

Southernecho
The ECHR has overturned just 13 UK deportation decisions since 1981

ECHR can refer to the European Convention on Human Rights or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg - you are quoting cases from the latter. We don't know how many deportations have been stopped by ECHR claims in the UK but it's likely to be in the thousands;

'Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said it would be a “disproportionate cost” to provide data on the number of deportations of foreign criminals or illegal migrants that had been stopped as a result of ECHR claims'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/20/home-office-refuses-reveal-number-deportations-halted-echr/

Some stats for foreign criminals (but not asylum seekers) here;

Home Office management information shows that, from April 2008 to June 2021, 21,521 appeals against deportation were lodged by FNOs [Foreign National Offenders].
Of the appeals that have been determined, 6,042 FNOs had their deportation appeal allowed at the First Tier Tribunal, with around 40% (2,392) of them doing so on Human Rights grounds.
A review of a random sample of FNO allowed appeal determinations has also been conducted to understand more specifically the grounds on which appeals allowed on Human Rights grounds were allowed... In the period 1 April 2016 to 8 November 2021, of 1,011 appeals against deportation by FNOs that were allowed on Human Rights grounds at First Tier Tribunal, an estimated 70% were allowed solely on Article 8 grounds [right to respect for private and family life].
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-national-offenders-appeals-on-human-rights-grounds-2008-to-2021

suburburban · 17/11/2025 21:50

AlertGoldDeer · 17/11/2025 20:10

A million migrants in this country on benefits? Why are we bringing people in who cannot afford to pay for themselves, let alone contribute to the economy?

Yes it is absolutely stupid

BundleBoogie · 17/11/2025 21:44

Swiftasthewind · 17/11/2025 16:20

The economy isn’t doing too bad in all honesty, the vast majority of our growth is propped up by diligent immigrants who come to this country and outwork the feckless locals exponentially, only to be told they aren’t welcome and should go home.

What has gone wrong for you that you hate the British (and our food) so much?

BundleBoogie · 17/11/2025 21:37

Swiftasthewind · 17/11/2025 09:33

Yes we do, have you ever tried the cuisine these folks bring with them? A lot better than a horrifically under seasoned roast chicken and vegetables that’s for sure!

So we need more migrants because you can’t cook roast chicken nicely? How old are you?

Papyrophile · 17/11/2025 21:17

There is rarely a moment when I think my carefully raised DC has done the clever thing by going into a business that AI can't affect, but right now they may have just managed it. Unlikely to be rich, but hopefully solvent.

Poetnojo · 17/11/2025 21:12

frommyheadtomyfeet · 17/11/2025 08:17

I’d rather call a spade a spade.

That's a very racist thing to say don't you know.

Menopausalsourpuss · 17/11/2025 21:10

Leavesfalling · 17/11/2025 20:42

We've been living off the wealth created during the Empire which apparently has now run out. Combined with the devastation of two world wars we have no money left. So unfortunately these immigrants have busted a gut getting here but its no longer paved with gold.

No I don't think that's true, we were doing OK in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, we just never recovered from the banking crisis and govts compounded it with net zero , reckless immigration, a bloated welfare system where millions choose not to work and covid spending. We got fat and complacent and don't work very hard and those that do work pay more and more tax to those who choose not to.

Leavesfalling · 17/11/2025 21:02

OneDearWasp · 17/11/2025 20:49

The critique of the suggested cost of migrants that was quoted by Farage was to a large extent based on its gross over-estimation of the proportion of low skilled/paid migrants.

Data from HMRC showed average income of migrants to have reached and exceeded average incomes after a few years of arrival, the more recent the arrival the quicker the acceleration.

There's something called the lump of labour fallacy which basically says that there isn't a fixed number of jobs in the economy. In other words, many jobs simply wouldnt be filled and/or created in a low migration counter-factual.

.

The worry is AI. And that we will have filled all available jobs by using immigrants and there will be no jobs for our children. Its coming fast and will decimate white collar professional jobs.

matresense · 17/11/2025 21:00

@OneDearWasp

in the nicest possible way, I think you are being a bit naive. Prior to Brexit, the official statistics showed that EU migrants were on average net contributors and non eu migrants were on average net takers (and those from, for example, Pakistan, were much more likely to be takers). It’s kind of hard to believe that a Pakistani asylum seeker is more likely to be a net contributor on average than someone who actually managed to get a visa here so presumably had relevant skills.

matresense · 17/11/2025 20:50

@Acommonreaderi bet you do know some people who might secretly vote reform though, unless you have a very narrow circle / social mix. There are lots of potential reform voters who are not waving flags…. Let’s be honest, anti immigration sentiment was significant in Brexit and in the tories winning in 2015, so it’s not new and it’s hardly an uncommon viewpoint.

OneDearWasp · 17/11/2025 20:49

The critique of the suggested cost of migrants that was quoted by Farage was to a large extent based on its gross over-estimation of the proportion of low skilled/paid migrants.

Data from HMRC showed average income of migrants to have reached and exceeded average incomes after a few years of arrival, the more recent the arrival the quicker the acceleration.

There's something called the lump of labour fallacy which basically says that there isn't a fixed number of jobs in the economy. In other words, many jobs simply wouldnt be filled and/or created in a low migration counter-factual.

.

Papyrophile · 17/11/2025 20:47

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

And I agree. While we did once think we might move to Vigo, when DH was ill I got cold feet about dealing with another health crisis in a language I didn't speak very fluently. I am still learning Spanish though because I actually like the language and the people and the culture.

.

Leavesfalling · 17/11/2025 20:45

Southernecho · 17/11/2025 20:25

As i pointed out, 18 Lab MPs have voiced concerns and Denmark is in the ECHR.
So i think your worries are misplaced.

More widely, i think that many on the right are worried Labour do mange to reduce boat crossings, as they have done legal migration, its now less than half than when they took over.

That's not true. Illegal boat crossings arr the highest they have ever been under Starmer. They have risen by 28%.

Leavesfalling · 17/11/2025 20:42

Menopausalsourpuss · 17/11/2025 19:57

This is all bollocks. In particular I take issue with people who say we are a rich country, we really aren't anymore, we're about 26th country for gdp per capita (the only measure that counts) and dropping further every year in most part because we are importing millions of people who are a net cost and also millions of young healthy people getting high benefits (often more than people in work). We are due to be overtaken by Turkey and Latvia in the next 15 years and when people realise how poor we are they're going to be extremely angry with the terrible leaders we've had for the last 20 years who are to blame. Bring it on as then we might have a chance to turn things round (probably with out the legacy parties who've got us in this mess).

We've been living off the wealth created during the Empire which apparently has now run out. Combined with the devastation of two world wars we have no money left. So unfortunately these immigrants have busted a gut getting here but its no longer paved with gold.

EasternStandard · 17/11/2025 20:40

Southernecho · 17/11/2025 20:37

No, the fall happened under Labour, thats how it works.

Labour are in Govt now, i believe thats the narrative.

Yes these posts have come up before. The policy was prior to the GE.

Southernecho · 17/11/2025 20:37

EasternStandard · 17/11/2025 20:29

That’s due to earlier policy which most people know about, apart from misinformation.

No, the fall happened under Labour, thats how it works.

Labour are in Govt now, i believe thats the narrative.

Menopausalsourpuss · 17/11/2025 20:30

OneDearWasp · 17/11/2025 20:04

Yes. The GDP per capita argument. I've heard it loads of times. It has initial pull. But it is possible that GDP would have been even lower both in total and per capita without migration.

Farage's figure of £254 billion cost of low skilled migrants has been withdrawn by the original think tank that came up with it. There's plausible arguments that the actual figure might even be a positive figure.

I dont KNOW that migration is a net benefit but equally the idea that its all just a negative financial impact seems to be one of those truths that has come into being simply by being repeated enough times.

You don't say why how gdp per capita would be even lower without mass immigration, to me importing millions of mostly low skilled people often from the worst countries in the world (many either on benefits or tax credits) whilst letting millions of people languish on benefits who could be doing those jobs is criminal, that's before you consider the effect on housing, infrastructure etc. Countries who haven't done that like Poland are doing much better (albeit they have had big subsidies from the EU and benefits from emigrating themselves).

EasternStandard · 17/11/2025 20:29

Southernecho · 17/11/2025 20:25

As i pointed out, 18 Lab MPs have voiced concerns and Denmark is in the ECHR.
So i think your worries are misplaced.

More widely, i think that many on the right are worried Labour do mange to reduce boat crossings, as they have done legal migration, its now less than half than when they took over.

That’s due to earlier policy which most people know about, apart from misinformation.