Luke Myer, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has challenged the Government to “walk the walk” on its newly announced immigration reforms, warning that years of broken promises have left the public sceptical that change will really happen.
Speaking in Parliament today (17 November) following the Home Secretary’s statement on the Government’s plans to fix the immigration and asylum system, Luke Myer MP said:
“The measures that the Home Secretary has set out to restore order and fairness will be very welcome in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, but the overriding sentiment will be that ‘we will believe it when we see it’, I am afraid – trust is so low after years of broken promises. What assurances can the Home Secretary give that she will not only talk the talk, but walk the walk?”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded:
“I can assure my hon. Friend that I do not believe in doing anything other than walking the walk. I totally hear what his constituents will tell him… It is a low-trust environment; over many years, trust in the immigration system overall has been degraded. It is on me to ensure that this package of reforms is implemented and that the Home Office is able to implement them effectively. I ask my hon. Friend’s constituents and people all over our country to judge us on what we deliver through these reforms.”
In her statement, the Home Secretary set out what she described as the most significant overhaul of the migration system in modern times. Key elements include:
- Making refugee status temporary rather than permanent
- Reducing illegal arrivals and increasing returns
- Replacing the duty to support asylum seekers with a power to do so
- Ending routine use of hotels and expanding alternative accommodation sites
- Tightening the appeals system, creating a new independent appeals body
- Increasing removals, including for failed asylum-seeker families from safe countries
- Narrowing the legal interpretation of Article 8 (family life) rights
- Pursuing reform of Article 3 protections internationally
- Strengthening action on modern slavery claims used to delay removal
- Introducing new safe and legal routes for refugees once order is restored
The Home Secretary described the reforms as essential to “maintain public consent,” arguing that uncontrolled migration had destabilised communities and driven division.
Luke’s intervention today builds on a consistent record of challenging the Government to deliver practical, credible reforms that restore trust and fairness. In March this year, he warned Ministers that the public could not accept that it was “fair” to continue to be asked to foot the bill of “£9 million a day on asylum hotels,” adding:
“That was a mark of shame for the last Government, and it may become one for us unless it is resolved. What steps will the Minister take to speed up processing, increase returns and end the use of hotels for good?”
Luke has repeatedly raised concerns from local residents. He is determined to keep pressing Ministers for fairness and order to ensure the immigration system is effective, fair, and trusted — and that the Government delivers on the commitments it has made.