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Immigration Reforms — [Graham Stringer in the Chair]

17 March 2026

Lead MP

Pete Wishart
Perth and Kinross-shire
SNP

Responding Minister

Alex Norris

Tags

ImmigrationAsylum & RefugeesUkraine
Word Count: 13583
Other Contributors: 19

At a Glance

Pete Wishart raised concerns about immigration reforms — [graham stringer in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

The Home Secretary should not emulate Denmark's approach but instead challenge Reform's agenda by dismantling its toxic ambitions and promoting a compassionate immigration system that values unity and consensus. The Government must address the growing divide in British politics and ensure they are not seen as part of a right-wing coalition.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Perth and Kinross-shire
Opened the debate
The Home Secretary's reforms on asylum and immigration are described as arbitrary, cruel and restrictive. These include reducing refugee status from five years to 30 months, introducing an 'emergency brake' on visa applications for nationals from dangerous countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cameroon, and Sudan, offering financial inducements for failed asylum seekers to return home, changing the law so it is no longer a legal duty to provide financial support to asylum seekers, and making the UK less attractive for those seeking refuge. These changes are criticised as undermining integration efforts and creating prolonged uncertainty, fear, and anxiety among refugees and asylum seekers.

Government Response

Alex Norris
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I thank Pete Wishart for securing this debate on an issue he feels passionate about. The current system is disorderly and uncontrolled, with human traffickers having the most agency. Public confidence in the mainstream's ability to deliver meaningful change is low, yet when there is control and order, communities lean into providing sanctuary as seen in schemes like Homes for Ukraine. I refute claims that refuge rules changed overnight from permanent to temporary; it used to be a five-year grant of settlement, now it's two-and-a-half years. The Government's intention is not to make it impossible to find work but to encourage contribution through the language learning and integration process on the protected work and study route. Core protection involves a 30-month permission that allows individuals to contribute by working or studying while learning English, thus avoiding the 30-month renewal regime if they do so. Visa brakes were implemented for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, leading to increased asylum applications among students from these countries. The Government will provide protected visa routes but maintain control over terms set by Parliament rather than universities. We have brought 35,000 people from Afghanistan via safe means in recent years. Addressing values, an orderly system that closes illegal routes and opens legal ones aligns with Labour's traditions. If people are failed asylum seekers or foreign national offenders without the right to be in the country, they should be removed to restore public confidence.
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.