The Starmer UK government is preparing to introduce a new policy that would allow authorities to take and sell certain valuables from asylum seekers to help pay for their accommodation, a measure already causing unease within Labour ranks ahead of its formal announcement on Monday, reports the Guardian.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will outline the changes in the House of Commons, with the Home Office framing the move as part of a broader shift intended to reduce asylum numbers and curb public spending. The policy draws from Denmark’s strict approach to asylum processing.
Speaking to broadcasters on Monday morning, Home Office minister Alex Norris stressed that the government will not confiscate wedding rings or items with sentimental value but confirmed that high-value belongings could be taken.
“At the moment, the British public pay billions of pounds a year so that those seeking asylum, or those who have already failed in their applications, can be supported,” Norris said. “People have cars. People have e-bikes. Those are assets they should contribute.”
When asked directly whether jewelry without sentimental value may be seized, Norris said the full details would be set out by Mahmood later in the day. A Home Office source later clarified that officials “will not seize items of jewelry at the border” but said individuals holding “a large number of high-value items” would be expected to contribute to accommodation costs.
The package also includes potential diplomatic measures. Norris confirmed that countries refusing to accept returns of their nationals after failed asylum claims could face visa restrictions. Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were cited in briefings as possible targets.
Mahmood is also expected to confirm that refugee status will be reviewed every 30 months, including for families with children.
Those from countries deemed newly safe would become liable for removal. Labour says the approach risks leaving long-term residents in a permanent state of insecurity. Labour MP Tony Vaughan said the policy would make integration “effectively impossible,” describing it as “perpetual limbo and alienation.”
Alongside the asylum reforms, the government will introduce legislation aimed at tightening how UK courts apply the European convention on human rights (ECHR) in family-life cases, making it easier to deport individuals with relatives in Britain. Vaughan argued the changes would have limited impact, noting that the number of asylum cases relying on ECHR protections is “very, very small.”
Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson slammed the valuables seizure proposal by saying it “goes against who we are.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will outline the changes in the House of Commons, with the Home Office framing the move as part of a broader shift intended to reduce asylum numbers and curb public spending. The policy draws from Denmark’s strict approach to asylum processing.
Speaking to broadcasters on Monday morning, Home Office minister Alex Norris stressed that the government will not confiscate wedding rings or items with sentimental value but confirmed that high-value belongings could be taken.
“At the moment, the British public pay billions of pounds a year so that those seeking asylum, or those who have already failed in their applications, can be supported,” Norris said. “People have cars. People have e-bikes. Those are assets they should contribute.”
When asked directly whether jewelry without sentimental value may be seized, Norris said the full details would be set out by Mahmood later in the day. A Home Office source later clarified that officials “will not seize items of jewelry at the border” but said individuals holding “a large number of high-value items” would be expected to contribute to accommodation costs.
The package also includes potential diplomatic measures. Norris confirmed that countries refusing to accept returns of their nationals after failed asylum claims could face visa restrictions. Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were cited in briefings as possible targets.
Mahmood is also expected to confirm that refugee status will be reviewed every 30 months, including for families with children.
Those from countries deemed newly safe would become liable for removal. Labour says the approach risks leaving long-term residents in a permanent state of insecurity. Labour MP Tony Vaughan said the policy would make integration “effectively impossible,” describing it as “perpetual limbo and alienation.”
Alongside the asylum reforms, the government will introduce legislation aimed at tightening how UK courts apply the European convention on human rights (ECHR) in family-life cases, making it easier to deport individuals with relatives in Britain. Vaughan argued the changes would have limited impact, noting that the number of asylum cases relying on ECHR protections is “very, very small.”
Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson slammed the valuables seizure proposal by saying it “goes against who we are.”
