Still hostile? Labour’s migration policy under the spotlight at IRIS public seminar

After fourteen years of Conservative governments defined by the infamous hostile environment launched by Home Secretary Theresa May, a new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, seems eager to build her political profile by weaponising the migration issue once again. The search for a new catchphrase may still be on, but the underlying message feels all too familiar: more enforcement, more control, and a continued framing of migration as a crisis and migrants as a threat. What is new is the tone — one that borrows elements from the MAGA playbook currently resonating across parts of Europe and beyond.

The first IRiS public seminar of the term offered a timely opportunity to reflect on the direction of travel of the new Labour government’s migration and asylum policy. It brought together staff and students to engage critically and passionately with one of the most pressing and politically charged issues in contemporary British politics.

In his talk, Professor Nando Sigona examined the broader political and policy context shaping Labour’s approach to migration and asylum. Drawing on the 2025 White Paper on Immigration and the first year of the new government, he discussed what these developments reveal about Labour’s priorities, motivations, and constraints.

The discussion that followed, lead by David Stark, was lively and thought-provoking. Participants raised important questions about what change really means in this context and whether Labour’s approach represents continuity or rupture with the past. There was also a rich exchange on the role of public opinion, media narratives, and the enduring political salience of immigration in British politics.

The seminar offered a timely reminder that the “hostile environment” is not just a policy framework — it is a political mindset that continues to shape how migration is governed and debated in the UK. As this new phase of migration governance unfolds, critical, evidence-based engagement from researchers, students, and practitioners remains as vital as ever.

This event was part of the IRIS Public Seminar Series at the University of Birmingham.