HOME SECRETARY Yvette Cooper has called for urgent reforms to the UK’s immigration and asylum systems, describing the current state as a “legacy” of poor management and a breakdown in enforcement.
In an article for the Yorkshire Post, Cooper outlined her plans to address the sharp rise in both legal and illegal migration, which has led to a surge in asylum claims, a growing backlog, and a dramatic increase in the cost of the system.
Listing the challenges the country faces, the home secretary highlighted that net migration has more than quadrupled in just four years, reaching a record high of nearly one million people. Dangerous small boat crossings have also escalated, from 300 people in 2018 to over 36,000 annually in recent years.
The cost of the asylum system has soared to £4 billion, and more than 200 asylum hotels now operate across the country, a stark contrast to none in 2019.
Cooper acknowledged that the UK has always been a welcoming country, proud of its history of supporting people fleeing persecution, but stressed the need for a controlled and secure immigration system. She blamed the previous government’s policies for allowing the situation to spiral out of control, undermining public trust in the system.
To tackle these issues, the government plans to reduce net migration, strengthen visa controls, and crack down on employers who exploit the system by hiring overseas workers in breach of the rules.
"This government is clear that net migration must come down. We are continuing with the visa controls belatedly introduced by the previous Government, including the higher salary threshold, the 20 per cent discount and the restrictions on dependent visas for students and care workers, but we must go further to restore order and credibility to the system," she wrote.
According to the home secretary, the government is also reviewing the visa system to prevent misuse and has reversed some of the previous decisions that had made it easier for migrants to claim asylum.
Cooper said that while the road to reform will be challenging, restoring confidence in the immigration and asylum systems is crucial for the future of the UK.
In another development, the UK signed a security pact with Iraq to target people-smuggling gangs and strengthen border cooperation.
“There are smuggler gangs profiting from dangerous small boat crossings whose operations stretch back through northern France, Germany, across Europe, to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond,” Cooper said.
The UK pledged another £200,000 to support projects in the Kurdistan region that “will enhance capabilities concerning irregular migration and border security, including a new task force”.
