MPs challenge Home Secretary on funding and lawyer availability as she proposes asylum system overhaul
MPs have called for immediate clarification from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood regarding how she plans to secure a sufficient supply of lawyers and fund her ambitious asylum reform plans.
Last week, Mahmood outlined a bold reform to the asylum appeals process, which she said has become a “thicket of laws” impeding legitimate removals. The new system would introduce a dedicated appeals body to improve efficiency, alongside early legal advice to help avoid delays and ensure better decision-making.
However, concerns have quickly emerged about the practicalities of the reform, particularly how it will be staffed and funded. In response to Mahmood’s announcement, the House of Commons Justice Select Committee has written to the Home Secretary with a series of questions seeking greater detail.
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MPs are particularly focused on the creation of the new appeals body, which will be staffed by “professionally trained adjudicators.” They are seeking clarity on whether this body will replace the existing first-tier tribunal and whether the adjudicators will be judges. The committee has also questioned why the government plans to create a new body instead of expanding the capacity of existing tribunals.
Additionally, MPs are concerned about the provision of early legal representation, which Mahmood has described as central to the reform. The committee wants to know how the early legal advice will be funded, where the lawyers will be sourced from, and how the Home Office plans to ensure that there will be enough legal professionals to meet the expected demand.
The Lady Chief Justice recently revealed that the judiciary had been given just 24 hours’ notice of the proposed changes, leaving immigration judges with little information about the potential impact on their roles. This has raised further concerns about the consultation process and the readiness of the legal system to handle the changes.
Mahmood has been asked to provide a detailed response to these questions by 9 December. As MPs push for answers, the government faces increasing scrutiny over the feasibility of its proposed asylum system overhaul, with particular focus on the supply of lawyers and the funding mechanisms required to support it.
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Mahmood’s proposals can move forward as planned or whether further adjustments will be necessary to address the concerns raised by MPs and the judiciary.