Shabana Mahmood warns of visa cuts for countries refusing to take back migrants

Highlights:

NEWLY-APPOINTED home secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday (September 8) outlined a tougher approach on immigration, warning that countries refusing to take back illegal migrants could face visa suspensions.

Mahmood, who took charge of the Home Office last week, made the remarks as she hosted ministerial counterparts from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada at a meeting of the intelligence-sharing group “Five Eyes” in London.

Her comments came after more than 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats over the weekend, one of the highest totals recorded in recent times.

Visa warning to countries

"For countries that do not play ball, we have been talking about taking much more coordinated action between the Five Eyes countries,” Mahmood said.

"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, promoted from the Ministry of Justice during prime minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet reshuffle last Friday, said securing the country’s borders would be her main focus.

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"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. 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," she said.

Talks with Five Eyes ministers

Mahmood was speaking to reporters as she began talks with Kristi Noem, US Homeland Security Secretary, who is visiting the UK. Noem has been overseeing President Donald Trump’s deportation drive in her role with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Australian home affairs minister Tony Burke, New Zealand minister Judith Collins and Canadian public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree also took part in Monday’s summit. Alongside discussions on illegal migration and people smuggling, the agenda included online child sexual abuse and the spread of opioids.

Mahmood, 44, was born in Birmingham to parents from Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A University of Oxford graduate and qualified barrister, she was first elected as a Labour MP in 2010.

She has held several shadow cabinet positions and was appointed to one of the senior-most roles in the Labour government last year, becoming one of the most prominent British Muslims in the party.

In May, during Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, she issued a statement on South Asia tensions: “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.”

“I know many in Birmingham with family in both countries will be desperately worried, which is why restoring regional stability is essential,” she said at the time.

(With inputs from agencies)