Labour MPs and supporters ‘outraged’ by slew of harsh anti-immigration measures

On February 10th, the UK Home Office released the first images of individuals being deported from the UK on a chartered flight. This footage revealed the previously secretive deportation process, drawing widespread attention.

In the footage, Border Force staff wearing high-visibility vests lead deportees from a bus onto the aircraft's steps. Their faces were blurred to protect their privacy. One man was shown wearing shackles. The release of these images coincides with a series of anti-immigration measures recently introduced by the UK Labour government.

In the preceding week, Labour also launched a series of advertisements on social media, styled similarly to those of the "Reform UK" party, heavily promoting its deportation figures. This shift in messaging strategy is partly attributed to the influence of "Labour Together," a think tank founded by Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. This think tank has prioritized countering the rise of the far-right "Reform UK" party as its primary objective.

In January, "Labour Together" published an immigration policy document calling for the government to adopt a strict Australian-style immigration program and to set caps on immigration numbers. However, this move sparked a strong backlash, with several MPs and human rights organizations accusing the government of using "performative" measures to attract "Reform UK" voters, as Nigel Farage's party's approval ratings are soaring.

Human rights organizations have warned that these measures could exacerbate community tensions and potentially lead to a repeat of the anti-immigration riots seen last summer. Some Labour MPs have also stated that this messaging strategy is unlikely to attract "Reform UK" voters. Diane Abbott described Labour's attempt to portray itself as a "cut-price Reform" as a "terrible mistake," while Clive Lewis warned that the Home Office is "fuelling the mainstreaming of racism."

A letter signed by nearly 1,000 MPs and union members condemned the measures, accusing the government of "copying the performative cruelty of a failing Conservative government." A spokesperson for "Labour Campaign for Free Movement" (LCFM) stated: "There is a completely misguided view that if you pander to the 'Reform UK' narrative, they will go away. The only way to truly defeat 'Reform UK' and the politics they represent is to deliver for the people, to improve people's lives, and that requires a degree of economic radicalism."

According to LCFM, the Labour leadership's anti-immigration moves have galvanized members across the party. "It's not just the left of the party, people across the party are shocked and appalled by this performative cruelty," the spokesperson said. "There's a general sense that there needs to be a coordinated pushback, and we're going to try and be part of that."

However, Labour's increasingly hardline stance on immigration is not just posturing. The government is investing up to £329 million in deportation operations and has revised citizenship application guidelines to exclude those who entered the UK through irregular routes. On February 10th, the blog "Free Movement," which provides information on immigration control, revealed that the Home Office had quietly amended its citizenship application guidance for visa and immigration staff to exclude anyone who entered the UK via a "dangerous journey."

This revision to the "good character" guidance, a requirement that adults and children over the age of 10 must meet when applying for British citizenship, was described as a "clarification," stating: "From 10 February 2025, if a person has arrived without valid entry clearance or an Electronic Travel Authorisation and has undertaken a dangerous journey, citizenship will normally be refused." "Dangerous journeys include, but are not limited to, arrival in a small boat or having been concealed in a vehicle or other mode of transport."

While previous guidance stated that irregular entry occurring more than 10 years ago could not be used as grounds for refusal, the revised guidance stipulates that applicants who arrived via this route will be refused, "no matter how long ago the illegal entry occurred."

On February 12th, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson stated that individuals who entered the UK through irregular routes could still apply for citizenship, and mitigating factors would be considered. However, Shanaaz Ali, a lawyer at Bindmans law firm, said the rules remain unclear. "There's an assumption that the Home Office is expected to take various factors into account, and there may be some discretion, but it's not as clear as the previous guidance," Ali told Middle East Eye. "The addition is a very short paragraph which says applications submitted from 10 February, if someone has entered illegally, it will normally be refused, so it doesn't really tell you what mitigating factors the Home Office will consider, or state explicitly that they will consider them."

Ali said that Bindmans has received numerous inquiries from people concerned about their future in the UK since the change. "A lot of people have been here for over 10 years and are now preparing to apply for citizenship, but are now worried about applying," Ali said. She added that the lack of clarity would deter many from applying, as the application fee is as high as £1,500 and is non-refundable. "The government continues to say that individuals and families need to travel to the UK legally and through safe routes, but for many people, there are no safe routes available," Ali said. "The government shouldn't be making these policy changes, it should be opening up safe routes for those fleeing terrible circumstances."

Xuan, using a pseudonym, told Middle East Eye that his wife had been preparing to apply for indefinite leave to remain, but they were shocked when they heard about the guidance change. His wife was trafficked to the UK from Vietnam in 2009 and forced into sex work. She did this for many years and suffered physical abuse. "She's been waiting for over 16 years," Xuan said. "Her mental health has been very poor since she was trafficked, and now this new law is making things worse."