Responding to the Government’s asylum system reforms announced today, Centre for Policy Studies Research Director Karl Williams said:
‘As the CPS argued in ‘Stopping the Crossings’ in 2022, a radical overhaul of asylum is needed to diffuse deterrence throughout the system. While the measures announced by the Home Secretary today represent a small step towards a more robust asylum system, they do not go far enough towards securing Britain’s borders.
‘Attempts to reduce the pull factors for illegal migration are unlikely to succeed without proper resourcing for immigration enforcement, as migrants will still be to disappear into the underground economy with relative ease. Similarly, without fundamental reform of the legal underpinnings of the asylum system, visa overstayers and illegal entrants will know that it will still be very hard to remove them.
‘Although the Government is attempting to emulate the tougher Danish approach to illegal migration, its half-hearted reforms will still leave Britain a relatively more attractive destination for asylum seekers than our European neighbours.
‘Ultimately, we need to be in the position where any migrant tempted to enter or remain in the country illegally knows that they will not be able to stay under any circumstances if they are caught doing so. Among other things, this means a Rwanda-style offshoring policy, and all the legal and institutional reform entailed in that.’
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Karl Williams is Research Director at the Centre for Policy Studies and author of several reports on immigration including ‘Stopping the Crossings’, co-authored with Nick Timothy MP, and ‘Taking Back Control’, co-authored with Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP and Neil O’Brien MP
- For further information and media requests please contact Melisa Tourt on 07399 251110 and [email protected]
- The Centre for Policy Studies is one of the oldest and most influential think tanks in Westminster. With a focus on taxation, economic growth, housing, immigration, and energy abundance, its goal is to develop policies that widen enterprise, ownership and opportunity.
Date Added: Tuesday 18th November 2025
