Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out the planned reforms to the UK asylum system, as reported by the Guardian. The centerpiece is a means-tested scheme requiring asylum seekers to pay about £10,000 for their state-funded living costs. Those who cannot pay risk being denied permanent residency in the UK.
Refugee charities strongly condemned the plans, calling them a tax on people fleeing war, torture, and famine.
Reactions and Political Pressure
Mahmood aims to quell criticism from within her own party with the reforms. Backbenchers, including former deputy leader Angela Rayner, have been vocal. The Home Secretary also plans to speed up safe and legal routes to claim asylum, such as employer sponsorship.
The announcement comes amid a heated public debate on migration in the UK. The so-called small boats used by many migrants to cross the English Channel have become a symbol of political and societal anxieties.
Source: www.theguardian.com
