The UK is reviving a Blair-era law to deport thousands of migrants
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to revive powers originally introduced under Tony Blair’s administration to deport thousands of individuals before they can launch prolonged appeals on human rights grounds.
The Telegraph reports that Mahmood plans to use section 94B of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 – a provision from the early 2000s designed to address migration pressures during that period – to certify certain asylum claims as “unfounded.”
This certification would enable immediate removal from the UK, with any appeals confined to out-of-country processes rather than allowing individuals to remain on British soil during legal challenges.
The move targets foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers who might otherwise exploit human rights legislation, such as Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to private and family life), to delay or block deportation.
By deporting first and appealing later, the government aims to slash the record backlog of immigration appeals and reduce the strain on taxpayer-funded accommodation and support systems.
Sources told the paper that the policy could affect thousands in the coming months, building on Mahmood’s broader immigration reforms announced earlier this year.
Those include limiting refugee protection to temporary 30-month periods, offering financial incentives for voluntary returns, and removing support from asylum seekers with criminal convictions or sufficient means.
The revival of the Blair-era certification power comes amid ongoing Labour efforts to overhaul the asylum system, including fast-tracking removals, overhauling human rights considerations in deportation cases, and suspending certain visa routes seen as backdoors to asylum claims.
Critics within Labour’s own ranks have raised concerns, with some MPs warning the measures risk internal party divisions or even a “Windrush-style scandal” if not handled carefully.
The policy forms part of a series of reforms Mahmood has rolled out since early 2026, following her March speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research, where she outlined plans to prioritise contributors and deter exploitation of the system.
With migration remaining a top public concern, the Home Office views these steps as essential to delivering on Labour’s promises to regain control of borders.
