Labour Peer Alf Dubs Voices Disappointment Over Home Secretary's Immigration Response
Labour peer Alf Dubs, who fled Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia as a child refugee on the Kindertransport in 1939, has publicly criticized Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's decision to reinforce hardline immigration reforms. This comes in the wake of Labour's surprising byelection defeat to the Green party in the previously safe seat of Gorton and Denton in east Manchester.
Byelection Upset and Political Fallout
In a dramatic political shift, Hannah Spencer, a Green councillor and plumber, secured victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection on Thursday, overturning a substantial Labour majority of 13,000. The Labour candidate, Angeliki Stogia, finished in third place, trailing behind Reform UK's Matt Goodwin. This outcome has sparked intense debate within Labour ranks, with accusations that the party is alienating left-leaning voters by attempting to counter the rise of Reform UK, particularly on immigration issues.
Lord Dubs, 93, who previously accused Mahmood of "pulling up the drawbridge" on child migrants, described her response to the byelection defeat as "disappointing" and lacking sensibility. He emphasized that the Green party's victory should serve as a wake-up call, noting, "The Greens are showing that, in humanitarian terms, they are probably in the right place [on immigration]."
Controversial Immigration Reforms and Criticism
Despite objections from numerous backbench Labour MPs and union figures, Mahmood indicated on Friday her intention to proceed with controversial immigration policies modeled on Denmark's hardline system. These reforms, representing the most significant overhaul of the asylum system in four decades, include a provision requiring individuals who enter the country illegally to wait 20 years before applying for indefinite leave to remain.
Green party leader Zack Polanski has accused Labour of echoing "the rhetoric of the far right" with these proposals. In contrast, the Green party advocates for allowing asylum seekers to work and establishing more safe routes for refugees. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has pledged to scrap indefinite leave to remain and deport approximately 600,000 migrants if his party gains power.
Humanitarian Concerns and Child Refugees
Dubs expressed particular concern for child refugees, many of whom are impacted by the suspension of family reunion visas last year. Until September, refugees with settled status could sponsor their spouses, partners, and dependent children under 18 to join them in the UK. Dubs argued passionately for a more humanitarian approach, stating, "We should have a more humanitarian policy for refugees and asylum seekers anyway, particularly family reunion and children."
He urged Mahmood to reconsider her stance, adding, "I think what [Mahmood] is saying is disappointing and hope she'll move away from that position and come to a better arrangement. One of the priorities should be family reunion for child refugees, if a child is abroad and has close family here with settled status. Children should be able to come here as asylum seekers."
Dubs concluded by emphasizing that Labour should adopt a policy as sensible as the Green party's, reflecting on his own experience as a child refugee and the ongoing plight of vulnerable migrants.
