How Shabana Mahmood, UK Home Secretary, seeks to break 'business model' of migration, 'heal' British society

Shabana Mahmood, 45, is a prominent British politician and barrister, currently serving as the Home Secretary since September 2025 in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet.

She is known for her pragmatism.

Mahmood has proposed sweeping asylum reforms, including a 20-year wait for people granted asylum before they can apply to settle permanently in the UK. She framed the move not just as a migration policy but also a way to heal social division.

She said she wants to “break that business model” of migration, reduce "pull factors" that encourage risky crossings, and prevent more fragmentation in British society.

Born on September 17, 1980 in Birmingham to Pakistani parents from Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, she spent part of her early childhood in Saudi Arabia before her family returned to the UK.

Educated at Lincoln College, Oxford, Mahmood studied law and later trained as a barrister, specializing in professional indemnity cases. Her legal experience has deeply informed her political career.

In 2010, at the age of 29, she was elected as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood, making her one of Britain’s first female Muslim MPs.

Over the years, she has held various key roles within the Labour Party, including in the shadow cabinet as Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Minister for Prisons.

Following Labour’s general election victory in 2024, Mahmood was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.

In that role, she introduced reforms to tackle prison overcrowding, notably launching an early-release scheme for prisoners.

Her appointment as Justice Secretary was historic: she became the UK’s first Muslim Lord Chancellor. 

Her political stance aligns with Blue Labour, a more socially conservative wing of the party.

Mahmood is deeply open about her Muslim faith, which she describes as central to her life and motivation for public service.

As Home Secretary, she oversees immigration, policing, and national security — a high-profile role that highlights her rapid ascent in British politics.

In September, Mahmood threatened during a Five Eyes meeting that the UK might suspend issuing visas to countries that refuse to cooperate on migrant returns, emphasising that border control as a top priority. 

She has also cautioned Labour MPs that “dark forces are stirring up anger” around migration, as senior party figures grow increasingly concerned about what is being described as the most sweeping reform of refugee rights in a generation.

Her rise has drawn attention not only for her professional achievements but also for her identity and the diversity she brings to the cabinet.

Despite her success, her career has not been without controversy. 

Some of her past statements, particularly on issues related to Kashmir and migration, have provoked debate.

Nonetheless, she remains widely recognised as a pragmatic and strategically gifted politician, with strong roots in her Birmingham constituency and a reputation for combining faith with a firm commitment to public service.

On Monday, Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil a controversial package of laws that would overhaul the UK’s refugee system — including mandatory reviews of refugee status every two years, stricter limits on asylum appeals, and a tougher stance on rights to family life.

In her article for The Guardian, the home secretary also warned that rising frustration over illegal migration could easily turn on second-generation immigrants like herself, risking deeper fractures in community relations.

“I know that a country without secure borders is a less safe country for those who look like me,” she said.