Shabana Mahmood swears in House of Commons while defending asylum crackdown

Politics
18 Nov 2025 • 6:54 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Home secretary Shabana Mahmood swore in the House of Commons as she defended her proposed major overhaul of the asylum system.

Ms Mahmood referenced her own experiences of being called a racial slur, which she repeated, while emphasising "how divisive the issue of asylum has become" on Monday (17 November).

The home secretary announced plans to change how the European Convention on Human Rights is interpreted by UK judges, making it easier to deport foreign criminals and small boat migrants.

The reforms have been labelled “repugnant” by Labour backbenchers, and Ms Mahmood has faced accusations of “chasing Reform”.

Ms Mahmood said Nigel Farage can “sod off” when Sky News highlighted that the Reform UK leader said it seemed as if she was “auditioning” for a place in his party.

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