UK Government Defends Tougher Deportation Rules Amid Concerns Over Impact on Families

UK Government Defends Tougher Deportation Rules Amid Concerns Over Impact on Families
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The UK government has defended its plans to overhaul the asylum system, including proposals that could result in the removal of families with children whose claims have been rejected, The Associated Press reported. Officials argue that current rules create incentives for parents to send children on dangerous Channel crossings in the hope of securing long-term residency.

A senior government figure said around 700 Albanian families remain in the UK despite having their asylum applications refused, noting that Albania is considered a safe country. He argued that these families have stayed largely because they have children, a situation he said unintentionally encourages others to risk their children’s lives by attempting the journey in small boats.

According to the official, the system must be reformed to prevent such “perverse incentives.”
The proposals have sparked unease within the Labour Party, particularly among backbench MPs who worry the measures could lead to the forced deportation of British-born children. Under the planned reforms, families whose asylum claims are rejected will receive financial incentives to voluntarily return to their home countries, provided those nations are deemed safe. If they refuse, the Home Office will escalate their cases and prepare for enforced removals.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said there had been a longstanding reluctance within the Home Office to remove families, a hesitation she believes has contributed to parents sending their children on dangerous crossings as a way to secure their presence in the UK. She said the current system allows families to remain until their children turn 18, even after exhausting all legal appeals, which she argues undermines the integrity of the asylum process.

Mahmood plans to consult on scrapping existing policies that do not prioritise the return of families and that continue providing payouts despite families not cooperating with removal procedures. She insisted that firmer rules are necessary to restore confidence in the asylum system and to discourage unsafe migration routes.

The Home Secretary also set out plans for new “safe and legal” pathways for refugees, proposing three capped routes for those seeking to work, study, or be sponsored by local communities. Mahmood said these schemes would begin “modestly,” admitting only a few hundred people initially, but would expand as the wider asylum system becomes more stable and efficient.