New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military barracks, in a major shift of Labour’s immigration strategy.
The move comes as small boat crossings in the English Channel continue to rise and protests intensify outside migrant accommodation.
According to reports, Ministry of Defence sites will be used to house asylum seekers, with dozens of hotels expected to close after they became flashpoints for demonstrations during the summer. The plans are part of Mahmood’s early efforts to take control of borders and asylum policy following her promotion in Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet reshuffle.
The scale of the challenge facing the new home secretary was underlined on Saturday, when an estimated 1,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats to reach the UK.
The government is also pursuing new international agreements. A returns deal with Germany is said to be close to completion, following an agreement already secured with France, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A government source suggested that Mahmood will take a robust approach, noting that “nothing is off the table” as she reviews the system. She has previously indicated she would consider reforming the way the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in domestic law.
Her appointment follows Sir Keir Starmer’s wide-ranging reshuffle, which included sweeping changes at the Home Office after Angela Rayner’s resignation. Ministers say the shake-up is designed to tighten Labour’s grip on immigration while strengthening public confidence.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones insisted the reshuffle was not a sign of crisis, arguing that Starmer now has the “strongest team” in place around the cabinet table. He also dismissed speculation about an early election, saying the government would remain focused on delivering its agenda.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Jones rejected claims that Yvette Cooper was moved from the Home Office because of failures on immigration, describing her as “brilliant” in her new role as Foreign Secretary.
With pressure mounting from Reform UK and public anger over rising migration numbers, Mahmood’s first decisions will be closely watched as Labour attempts to reset its immigration policy and demonstrate a tougher stance.
