The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Britain’s Conservative Party would immediately shut down new asylum routes being established by the Labour government for Afghans and Palestinians if it wins the next general election, the party’s shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, is expected to say Wednesday.
Philp is set to tell the Conservative Party conference that
the government should not expand legal routes for migrants while illegal
immigration remains high. He is expected to criticize Home Secretary Shabana
Mahmood’s plan, announced last week, to establish “safe routes” focused largely
on Palestinians and Afghan women and girls.
Mahmood has said the routes would help Britain fulfill its
tradition of providing protection to people in need.
“We would close this scheme down immediately,” Philp is
expected to say, arguing that the government should not be opening Britain’s
borders further while illegal migration remains widespread.
Philp is also expected to outline plans for a new removals
force that would deport 150,000 people a year, including failed asylum seekers,
foreign criminals and people who have overstayed their visas.
He said a new Home Office unit would use broader removal
powers to remove about 750,000 foreign nationals without a legal right to
remain in Britain over the course of a five-year Parliament. He said people
arriving illegally by small boats would be a priority.
Philp is also expected to accuse Mahmood of weakening
Labour’s proposed reforms to the process for obtaining indefinite leave to
remain, or permanent residency.
Mahmood proposed last year doubling the period foreign
nationals must wait before becoming eligible for permanent status. The proposal
has faced opposition from some Labour lawmakers, who argue that changing the
rules for migrants already in Britain would be unfair.
Philp is expected to say a Conservative government would put
the rights of British citizens first and accuse Mahmood of giving in to
pressure from Labour lawmakers who favor more liberal immigration policies.
The Conservative lawmaker is also expected to criticize a
police policy on racial equality, arguing that it could result in people being
treated differently based on their ethnic background.
The speech will also include criticism of Reform UK, a
right-wing British political party, with Philp expected to mock its leader
Nigel Farage and other senior figures.
