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2d ago

Mahmood Faces Early Test as UK Weighs Moving Asylum Seekers to Military Sites After Crossings Top 30,000

Mahmood will host Five Eyes counterparts to toughen action on people-smuggling.

MP Shabana Mahmood who has been appointed to the role of Home Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street, during a reshuffle by the British government following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in London, Britain, September 5, 2025. REUTERS/Jack Taylor/File Photo
Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, right, greets Canada Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree prior to the Five Country Ministerial meeting at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 as interior ministers of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will discuss some of the major security threats facing our nations. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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Overview

  • Defence Secretary John Healey said military planners are now embedded in border command as the government assesses using Ministry of Defence sites for temporary accommodation.
  • Home Office figures show 1,097 people crossed the Channel on Saturday, taking the 2025 total to about 30,100, the earliest the 30,000 mark has been reached since records began.
  • A one‑in, one‑out returns pilot with France is operational, with the home secretary saying returns are expected imminently.
  • Ministers are reported to be close to a reciprocal returns arrangement with Germany, and plans to wind down the use of asylum hotels are being accelerated.
  • Charities including the Refugee Council criticized any expansion of barracks‑style housing, calling for faster decisions and housing within communities.