Key points
- Shabana Mahmood toughens immigration stance
- Five Eyes summit targets illegal migration
- Mahmood prioritises border security enforcement
ISLAMABAD: Britain’s newly appointed Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood has adopted a tougher stance on immigration, warning that countries refusing to “play ball” and take back illegal migrants could face visa suspensions.
In one of her first major engagements since taking over at the Home Office last week, the minister of South Asian heritage hosted counterparts from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada for a meeting of the intelligence-sharing alliance known as the “Five Eyes” in London.
The summit followed a weekend during which more than 1,000 migrants arrived unlawfully on UK shores in small boats — among the highest numbers recorded making the perilous crossing of the English Channel.
“For countries that do not play ball, we have been talking about taking much more coordinated action between the Five Eyes countries,” said Mahmood on Monday.
Cutting visas
“And for us that means the possibility of cutting visas in the future, just to say we do expect countries to play ball, play by the rules and if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you have to take them back,” she added.
The minister, who was elevated from the Ministry of Justice in a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last Friday, identified securing the UK’s borders as her foremost priority in her new post.
“I’m very clear that there has to be a strong approach to maintaining our border, and that does mean saying to countries who do not take their citizens back that we’re not simply going to allow our laws to remain unenforced,” Mahmood Said and added that “they do have to play ball, they have to come to the table and if cutting visas is one of the ways to do that, then I will do whatever it takes,” said Mahmood.
She made her remarks to reporters as she commenced talks with Kristi Noem, the US Homeland Security Secretary, who is currently visiting the UK.
Deportation efforts
In her capacity with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, Noem has been overseeing President Donald Trump’s drive to intensify deportation efforts.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, New Zealand’s Judith Collins, and Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree joined Mahmood and Noem at the Five Eyes summit on Monday. In addition to tackling illegal migration and people smuggling, the agenda also covered issues such as online child sexual exploitation and the growing opioid crisis.
Mahmood, who was born in Birmingham to parents originally from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, is an alumna of the University of Oxford and a qualified barrister. She entered Parliament in 2010 as a Labour MP.
Shadow cabinet positions
Now 44, she has held various shadow cabinet positions and is among the most senior British Muslims in the Labour government formed last year.
“I share the concerns of my constituents regarding the rising tensions between Pakistan and India. Nobody wins in an escalation between the two countries, and dialogue and diplomacy should be a priority,” Mahmood said in a statement in May.
“I know many in Birmingham with family in both countries will be desperately worried, which is why restoring regional stability is essential,” added the MP for Birmingham Ladywood.
