Labour Criticised for Rebranding ‘Illegal’ as ‘Irregular’ Migration
The Conservatives accuse the Home Office of "softening" the approach to border control by renaming "illegal migration" as "irregular migration." The criticism came from Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, and James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, following the Home Office's announcement on X, formerly Twitter, that "we are taking control of irregular migration."
Highlighting a Commons statement by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, setting out Labour’s border security and asylum plans, it said its changes would speed up asylum processing, launch a new Border Security Command and work with international partners.
However, Mr Cleverly responded on X by saying: “Labour keep sending subtle but noticeable messages that they are going soft on border control. Changing ‘illegal migration’ to ‘irregular migration’ will be seen as an invitation to the people smugglers.”
Mr Jenrick simply tweeted: “You misspelt illegal” over the same post by the Home Office.
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, also weighed in on X, saying: “Labour wants to bury illegal immigration as a subject and they are now using the word ‘irregular’. We will not let them get away with it.”
Labour, however, denied there had been any change. “Irregular migration has always been used by the Home Office. It’s been the standard terminology used in all its datasets. It’s just standard terminology the department has always used.”
‘Irregular’ used for statistical releases
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government would continue to use the term “illegal migration” and regarded it as a legitimate description. He noted that “irregular” had been used for statistical releases.
Labour scrapped the Rwanda deportation scheme on its first day in office, as Sir Keir Starmer had pledged, prompting allegations from the Tories that it was weakening the deterrent to migrants seeking to enter the UK illegally.
However, the new Government has said it will use the savings of some £700 million to set up a new Border Security Command with hundreds of extra police officers and investigators deployed across Europe to crackdown on the people smugglers.
It is also setting up a 1,000-strong enforcement and returns unit to remove failed asylum seekers and migrants who have no right to remain the UK and send them back to their home countries.
The first flight of 50 Vietnamese was due to take off on Wednesday, using the same plane that would have taken migrants to Rwanda if Rishi Sunak had won the election.
Labour says its plans will be more effective in tackling the small-boats crisis by tackling the problem at source, intercepting migrants, boats and other equipment used in the dangerous Channel crossings.
Rob McNeil, deputy director of Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, said neither the use of “illegal migration” nor “irregular migration” were wrong but carried different emphases in the approach to the issue.
They appear in some ways to reflect the different approaches by the two parties. The Conservatives’ Illegal Migration Act was designed to bar migrants from claiming asylum in the UK and instead deport them to Rwanda to do so there.
Labour is proposing that migrants who were earmarked for Rwanda will instead be brought back into the asylum system for their claims to be processed in the UK. Only those refused asylum will face removal.
Mr McNeil said: “It is not illegal to claim asylum under international law. Entering the UK without permission is illegal but it is also tolerated under international law if people are recognised as refugees.
“The difference between illegal and irregular is semantic. It is not legally correct or incorrect to describe people with either term. It is essentially a moral or political judgment about the loading of the term.
“You might choose the word illegal if you want people to be angry with the migrants in question or provoke a strong response. Alternatively you might prefer the word irregular if you are saying you need to have a moderate response and work out whether people have a legitimate claim for asylum.”