Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has slammed the Channel migrant crisis as a “fiendishly difficult problem” after a staggering 41,474 migrants crossed into the UK in 2025. And she gave no promises that numbers will drop by January.
Labour Sees 13% Rise in Crossings
Speaking to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mahmood admitted the illegal crossings were “unacceptable.” But when pressed on a clear deadline to cut numbers, she smirked: “I would love to be in that position. I can’t guarantee I’m going to be in that position.”
The Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Ben Maguire, revealed 23,242 migrants arrived during Keir Starmer’s first six months in office — a 13% surge under Labour’s watch.
“Those numbers are obviously not where I want to be either,” Mahmood said. “This is an issue of deep concern in my own constituency and my city as well.”
No Quick Fix: Government’s “Painful” Plan
Mahmood stressed there’s no “silver bullet” for the problem. She outlined plans for a raft of legislative changes to clamp down on appeals and tighten the Human Rights Act, but said this would take “long-term, careful, painful work.”
“We will legislate at the earliest opportunity to change the appeal system, to further restrict the way that Article 8 of the Human Rights Act is interpreted,” she told MPs. Drafting this legislation “necessarily does take some time,” she added.
The Home Secretary’s caution echoes Prime Minister Starmer, who recently unveiled a “smash the engines” plan targeting the Chinese-made boat engines used by smugglers — but stopped short of naming clear targets.
Brexit Blamed? Mahmood Says No
While some Cabinet colleagues pin the crisis on Brexit, Mahmood was quick to rule that out. When Liberal Democrat MP Paul Koehler called illegal crossings a “post-Brexit problem,” she shot back:
“Is Brexit responsible for the boats? I don’t think that’s true.”
She echoed public frustration across the country and vowed to keep cracking down on people-smuggling gangs. But with no timeline on when her new laws will take effect, the Channel crisis looks set to drag on for now.
