Labour Civil War As Andy Burnham Hits Out At Shabana Mahmood's Immigration Crackdown

Andy Burnham is not happy with the home secretary's asylum shake-up.Andy Burnham has hit out at home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s asylum crackdown, saying it will leave many migrants who have come to the UK “in limbo”.The Manchester mayor is the most senior Labour figure to criticise the shake-up, which has already caused deep splits within the party.Under the proposals, the length of time asylum seekers would have to wait to gain permanent residency in Britain would quadruple from five to 20 years.Their status would also be reviewed every two-and-a-half years, and if their home country was deemed to be safe, they would be sent back.On Radio 4′s Today programme on Thursday, Burnham said: “I agree that Shabana Mahmood is right to grasp this nettle and have root and branch reform of the system.“But I do have a concern about leaving people without the ability to settle, one of the concerns being if there is a need to constantly check up on the status of countries where people have come from, that might limit the ability of the Home Office to deal with the backlog.“It also may leave people in a sense of limbo and unable to integrate.”He added: “I have concerns about that particular element of the plans. I think it will leave people in a position where they don’t know whether they’re staying or potentially leaving, particularly in situations where people are wanting to work, wanting to contribute.“I think it would be better to stick with the decision of long-term leave to remain.”"I do have a concern about leaving people without the ability to settle"The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is questioned by @EmmaBarnett on the Home Secretary’s sweeping changes to the asylum model, which has attracted criticism from some Labour MPs and peers. pic.twitter.com/Um3xOEBk8l— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 20, 2025Human rights law will also be overhauled under Mahmood’s plans to prevent them from being used to frustrate deportations.However, more safe and legal routes to enter the UK will also be opened up to deter asylum seekers from trying to cross the Channel in small boats.Related...Andy Burnham Takes 9 Pot Shots At Keir Starmer And Rachel Reeves Amid Labour RowRachel Reeves Takes Swipe At 'Dangerously Wrong' Andy BurnhamBurnham Slams Starmer As Labour Splits Dominate First Day Of Party Conference

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