Mahmood outlines safe immigration routes plan to win over Labour left

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will next week introduce a controversial immigration bill aimed at shoring up support from Labour's progressive left. The bill, expected to be presented on Tuesday despite Andy Burnham not becoming prime minister until 20 July, will speed up the opening of new safe and legal routes for refugees while imposing stricter limits on asylum claims based on human rights and modern slavery laws.

Mahmood, who is the leading contender to retain her job if Burnham takes office, has been trying to soften some of her earlier hardline plans, including reassessing a proposal to make migrants wait 10 years instead of five for indefinite leave to remain. She has also been involved in talks to exempt care workers from the changes.

The bill will establish three safe and legal routes: a community sponsorship scheme modelled on Canada's system, a university student scheme, and an employer sponsorship scheme. Initially allowing hundreds of refugees per year, the goal is to eventually reach thousands annually. A Labour source confirmed the aim is to grow the number of refugees arriving through these routes.

However, the bill faces strong opposition. Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK via the Kindertransport, called for Burnham to remove Mahmood from the Home Office, describing her asylum policies as "performative cruelty." He urged the new government to champion human rights and compassion.

Other measures in the bill include removing modern slavery protections for foreign nationals convicted of crimes, rejecting last-minute modern slavery claims, limiting family life claims to parents, spouses, or children under 18, and introducing a public interest test for deporting foreign offenders. The bill also mandates an independent guardian for every trafficked or exploited child.

Refugee family reunion has been paused since September 2025, with no date for reopening. Critics argue that families fleeing war have almost no safe and legal ways to reach the UK, pushing them towards dangerous journeys. Statistics show a 50% drop in refugees arriving via safe routes in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025.