Shabana Mahmood, the Member of Parliament for Ladywood and Home Secretary, has disclosed that she is frequently subjected to racist abuse, including being called offensive racial slurs and being told to “go back home.” Speaking in the House of Commons during a heated debate over proposed changes to the UK’s asylum system, Mahmood shared her personal experiences to highlight the divisive nature of the asylum issue in Britain.
Responding to criticism from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson regarding Labour’s new asylum proposals, Mahmood declared: “Unlike him, unfortunately, I am the one who is regularly called a ‘f****** p***’ and told to go back home.” She emphasized that her personal experience and those of her constituents demonstrate the deep societal divisions surrounding asylum policy.
Mahmood stressed the urgent need to reform a “broken” asylum system that fosters division, stating, “It is incumbent on all members to fix this system so it stops creating the division that we all see.”
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During the debate, Mahmood outlined Labour’s controversial asylum reform plan. Key elements include increased removal of families with failed asylum claims, temporary refugee status subject to review every two and a half years, and the possibility of returning individuals to their home countries when deemed safe. The plan would also eliminate the legal obligation to provide ongoing support for asylum seekers and proposes visa bans on three African nations if they fail to cooperate on removals.
While Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch praised Mahmood’s “clearer focus,” she argued the proposals alone would not suffice, calling them a “start” but “not enough.” Green Party MP Carla Denyer accused Mahmood of “attempting to out-reform Reform,” highlighting the intense political debate surrounding the policy.
Mahmood’s candid revelation of facing racist abuse underscores both the personal toll on politicians and the complexities surrounding immigration and asylum policy in the UK today.