×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Join Thousands of Readers
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

UK govt defends refugee shakeup in face of hard right

A handout photograph taken and released by the UK Parliament on November 12, 2025 shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions. [AFP]

Britain's interior minister on Sunday defended plans to drastically reduce protections for refugees and end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, insisting that irregular migration was "tearing our country apart".

The measures, modelled on Denmark's strict asylum system, aim to stop thousands of migrants from arriving in England from northern France on small boats -- crossings that are fuelling support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week
Bold Reporting Takes Time, Courage and Investment. Stand With Us.
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in