Yet again, immigration is dominating the headlines as Reform UK surges in the polls and racks up gains in the local elections.
The party’s demand for an immediate freeze on so-called “non-essential” migration has tapped into public frustration — but like much of the political rhetoric surrounding immigration, it offers more heat than light.
The truth is that no major UK party has put forward a coherent or effective plan to deal with migration. Labour’s reactive policy tweaks — banning sex offenders from claiming asylum, speeding up appeals, tinkering with legal definitions — are responses to headlines, not solutions.
The Conservatives left behind a dysfunctional system defined by the hostile environment, a collapsing asylum backlog, and the legally dubious Rwanda scheme.
And Reform’s “shut the doors” mantra, while popular with angry voters, simply doesn’t match the complexity of the issue.
So: what would a working migration policy actually look like?
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Tackle the causes, not just the crossings
The number of people arriving in small boats has hit 10,000 earlier in the year than ever before.
These crossings are not random: they’re the result of war, climate collapse, political persecution, and poverty — often in places where the UK has played a destabilising role.
A serious migration strategy would start with international development.
Yet the UK slashed its aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP in 2021 — and now it’s going down even further, to 0.3 per cent.
Rebuilding that investment could reduce the need for people to flee in the first place.
It costs less to stabilise a region than to process and detain its refugees.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Create safe and legal routes
Every expert agrees: safe routes reduce dangerous ones.
The government created successful legal pathways for Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.
So why not for Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans — or others fleeing violence?
Reform says we should only allow in people with “essential skills”.
But people fleeing torture or war aren’t job applicants — they’re refugees.
International law recognises that right.
If there’s no legal way to reach safety, people will risk their lives to get here.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Invest in processing, not punishment
Both Labour and the Tories have thrown energy into trying to deter arrivals: threats of Rwanda flights, tagging asylum seekers, imposing curfews.
None of it has reduced crossings meaningfully.
What would work? A functioning asylum system.
In 2023, over 175,000 people were waiting on decisions.
Some have waited years.
The system doesn’t need harsher penalties — it needs more trained staff, faster processing, and fairer decisions.
Only then can we separate those who need protection from those who don’t.
Rebuild regional co-operation
Brexit tore holes in the UK’s asylum cooperation with Europe.
Without agreements to return people or coordinate responses, the UK is isolated — and so are those seeking help.
Tory rhetoric blamed Brussels, and Labour is wary of touching the issue.
Reform wants total autonomy.
But international problems need international solutions.
We can’t “take back control” while ignoring our neighbours.
Stand up to smugglers by undermining their business model
Smugglers thrive on fear and desperation.
The more barriers governments throw up, the more these gangs profit.
The way to beat them isn’t by punishing their victims — it’s by removing the need for their services.
Safe routes, quicker decisions, and international cooperation make smuggling less attractive.
Crackdowns alone don’t work if people are still fleeing danger with nowhere else to turn.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Who benefits from the current mess?
Reform UK is riding a wave of anger.
Labour and the Conservatives helped build it — with years of fear-mongering, scapegoating, and political short-termism.
But if the UK is serious about controlling migration, it needs more than blame and bluster.
It needs policy grounded in humanity, evidence, and international law.
Unless we shift the conversation from punishment to prevention, we will stay trapped in a cycle of panic and political posturing — while more lives are lost, and more communities are divided.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
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Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
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Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Beyond the blame game: a working migration policy for the UK
Yet again, immigration is dominating the headlines as Reform UK surges in the polls and racks up gains in the local elections.
The party’s demand for an immediate freeze on so-called “non-essential” migration has tapped into public frustration — but like much of the political rhetoric surrounding immigration, it offers more heat than light.
The truth is that no major UK party has put forward a coherent or effective plan to deal with migration. Labour’s reactive policy tweaks — banning sex offenders from claiming asylum, speeding up appeals, tinkering with legal definitions — are responses to headlines, not solutions.
The Conservatives left behind a dysfunctional system defined by the hostile environment, a collapsing asylum backlog, and the legally dubious Rwanda scheme.
And Reform’s “shut the doors” mantra, while popular with angry voters, simply doesn’t match the complexity of the issue.
So: what would a working migration policy actually look like?
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Tackle the causes, not just the crossings
The number of people arriving in small boats has hit 10,000 earlier in the year than ever before.
These crossings are not random: they’re the result of war, climate collapse, political persecution, and poverty — often in places where the UK has played a destabilising role.
A serious migration strategy would start with international development.
Yet the UK slashed its aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP in 2021 — and now it’s going down even further, to 0.3 per cent.
Rebuilding that investment could reduce the need for people to flee in the first place.
It costs less to stabilise a region than to process and detain its refugees.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Create safe and legal routes
Every expert agrees: safe routes reduce dangerous ones.
The government created successful legal pathways for Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.
So why not for Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans — or others fleeing violence?
Reform says we should only allow in people with “essential skills”.
But people fleeing torture or war aren’t job applicants — they’re refugees.
International law recognises that right.
If there’s no legal way to reach safety, people will risk their lives to get here.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Invest in processing, not punishment
Both Labour and the Tories have thrown energy into trying to deter arrivals: threats of Rwanda flights, tagging asylum seekers, imposing curfews.
None of it has reduced crossings meaningfully.
What would work? A functioning asylum system.
In 2023, over 175,000 people were waiting on decisions.
Some have waited years.
The system doesn’t need harsher penalties — it needs more trained staff, faster processing, and fairer decisions.
Only then can we separate those who need protection from those who don’t.
Rebuild regional co-operation
Brexit tore holes in the UK’s asylum cooperation with Europe.
Without agreements to return people or coordinate responses, the UK is isolated — and so are those seeking help.
Tory rhetoric blamed Brussels, and Labour is wary of touching the issue.
Reform wants total autonomy.
But international problems need international solutions.
We can’t “take back control” while ignoring our neighbours.
Stand up to smugglers by undermining their business model
Smugglers thrive on fear and desperation.
The more barriers governments throw up, the more these gangs profit.
The way to beat them isn’t by punishing their victims — it’s by removing the need for their services.
Safe routes, quicker decisions, and international cooperation make smuggling less attractive.
Crackdowns alone don’t work if people are still fleeing danger with nowhere else to turn.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Who benefits from the current mess?
Reform UK is riding a wave of anger.
Labour and the Conservatives helped build it — with years of fear-mongering, scapegoating, and political short-termism.
But if the UK is serious about controlling migration, it needs more than blame and bluster.
It needs policy grounded in humanity, evidence, and international law.
Unless we shift the conversation from punishment to prevention, we will stay trapped in a cycle of panic and political posturing — while more lives are lost, and more communities are divided.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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