The Home Secretary has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage can “frankly sod off” as she made “no apology” for changes to the asylum system.
Shabana Mahmood announced the changes on Monday to try and put discourage people from trying to reach the UK on small boats as she seeks to make it easier for people to be removed from the country.
Ms Mahmood told MPs on Monday that it was the “uncomfortable truth” that the UK’s generous asylum offer, compared to other European countries, is drawing people to UK shores and that the system “feels out of control and unfair” for British taxpayers.
Speaking to ITV News following the announcement, the Home Secretary defended her reforms.
"I want to disincentivise people from getting on dangerous boats and coming across a very dangerous channel crossing, paying thousands of pounds while they do so to criminals," she said.
"I don't want them to do that. I'd rather people came through safe and legal routes instead.
"And I make no apology for incentivising a safe and legal route and disincentivising illegal migration to this country."
But Ms Mahmood has faced backlash from her own party over the “shameful” package, with former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon insisting the measures “scrape the bottom of the barrel” and are “a desperate attempt to triangulate with Reform”.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage suggested that the Home Secretary’s plans were “an audition to join Reform”.
Pressed on the comments on ITV, she responded: “Well, firstly, Nigel Farage can keep his opinions to himself.
"He can frankly sod off. I'm not interested in anything that he has to say.
"And let let me just say to to people of all political persuasions who are watching, I'm not making a political calculation here. I'm not making an election calculation here.
"It is my responsibility as the Home Secretary of this country, who can see a broken system, to work out how to fix that broken system and to work out what is the right thing to do and then to."
Asked the same question by Sky News, the Home Secretary responded frankly: "Nigel Farage can sod off. I'm not interested in anything he's got to say.
"He's making mischief. So I'm not going to let him live forever in my head."
Speaking further about her plans to ITV, Ms Mahmood said that the views of some Britons “are beyond the pale” and insisted she was interested in speaking to people across the country who are frustrated with the asylum system.
Under the Home Secretary’s plans, the amount of time refugees will be initially granted to stay in the UK will be slashed from five years to a 30-month “core protection” system, which can only be renewed if it is not safe for them to return.
Refugees will also have to spend 20 years in the UK before being allowed to apply for settled status, up from five years.
Under the proposals, there will be no automatic right to family reunion for refugees under core protection.
Housing and weekly allowances will also no longer be guaranteed for asylum seekers and those who can work or have valuable assets will have to contribute to their costs in the UK.
Families with children could also be subject to enforced returns under measures to remove those with no right to be in the UK.
